danville today, june 2015

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Save Mount Diablo Monitors the Mountain’s Natural Regeneration By Jody Morgan

One month after the September 2013 Morgan Fire left 3,111 acres of the Diablo Wilderness black and seemingly barren, new growth was sprouting. Once firefight-ers from dozens of agencies had put down the blaze without loss of homes or human life, scientists felt free to celebrate the remarkable opportunity presented to study the natural succession of regeneration. Ongoing research confirms their belief that allowing the mountain to heal itself without human intervention is a boon to the biodiversity of healthy ecosystems and a blessing to species that depend on the effects of fire to restore their populations. Save Mount Diablo (SMD) is sponsoring study of the effects of the

conflagration on ecosystems within the footprint of the fire through several three-year projects funded by the Mary Bowerman Scientific Research Grants introduced in 2014 and focusing their annual species count known as BioBlitz on that area.

“Botany and fire go hand in hand,” explains Heath Bartosh, SMD Board of Di-rectors member and principal of Nomad Ecology. Ecologists establish plots called “quadrats” in order to quantify observations on cover, density and frequency of

A.A., A Supportive CommunityBy Fran Miller

The number of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings available within the greater Contra Costa area is illustrative of alcoholism’s pervasiveness. That these meetings are held privately and quietly, drawing perhaps your neighbor or your co-worker, is illustrative of AA’s success in maintaining anonymity for its members.

Every day of the week, nearly every hour of the day, individuals in need can find a local AA meeting where members convene to share their experiences, their strength, and their hope in order that they may solve their common problem of alcoholism and help each other to recover. The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking.

June 2015 Serving Danville

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Volume VI - Number 83000F Danville Blvd. #117,

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The opinions expressed herein belong to the writers, and do not necessarily reflect that of Danville Today News.

Danville Today News is not responsible for the content of any of

the advertising herein, nor does publication imply endorsement.

See Regeneration continued on page 19

See A.A. continued on page 23

See Volunteers continued on page 22

Harry Hubinger, Sabrina Titelbaum and Bev Walsh, members of the Volunteers in Police(VIP) program at the Danville Farmers Market.

Volunteers in Policing By Linda Summers Pirkle

Most couples after 57 years of marriage are enjoying life, traveling, going to dinner, and visiting friends. Harry and Barbara Hubinger do all those things with an added twist. Every week or so, they don their blue and white uniforms, check in with the police department and head out on their patrol. They are a part of the Danville Police Department volunteer unit, along with 30 or so others who play a critical role in our community.

“First and foremost,” says Police Chief Simpkins, “the volunteers are all members of our community, and that gives the police department a direct link to those we serve. The volunteers are de facto ambassadors to and for our community; they have insight into what we do as an agency and as residents, provide us with feedback in regard to the way our residents would like police services delivered. Also, they are a force multiplier! Our police department is twice as big with our volunteers.”

Paul Cowell has been with the Sherriff’s All Volunteer Extended Service (SAVES) program for fifteen years. “Volunteers are expected to serve a minimum six hours per week, but many volunteers work way

BioBlitz 2015 presented unexpected atmospheric factors to the 50 scientists and supporters who surveyed the Morgan Fire Footprint area in April (photo by Paul Salemme, paulsalemme.com)

One month after the Morgan Fire, new growth sprouts in the natural process of regeneration on Mount Diablo (photo by Brad Heckman)

www.yourmonthlypaper.com - June 2015 ~ Danville Today News

“Kids on Bikes. Safe, Smart and Healthy”

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PETE’S BRASS RAIL

AND CAR WASHDoug and Cindy Gin

Starting at9 A.M.

Great Art!

Classic Car Show! (Sunday Only)

Great Food! Great Music!

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The Danville Area Chamber of Commerce Presents:

June 20 & 2110am to 5pm

Boulevard ViewBy Alisa Corstorphine, Editor

The old saying goes, “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” In other words, it is easier to get what you want by being nice and polite rather than by being rude and making demands.

I recently interacted with a service provider who noted he wanted to continue working on my project rather than go to his next job. When I inquired as to why, he said, “Because you’re nice.” Huh? I didn’t expect that for an answer, and my actions weren’t out of the ordinary.

Sure, I always try to be nice, but what his answer was also telling me is that he dealt with a lot of people who just weren’t pleasant to be with. It was more a sad state of affairs to learn that being around grumpy and demanding people was more of the norm for him.

The day after having received the comment above I had an equally odd conver-sation when I was shopping at a big-box store for a lot of tile. The staff graciously loaded my cart with several hundred pounds of the tile. As I started to push the load to the front of the store, I immediately received help from the staff with my lumbering barge of a cart. They pushed the cart to the checkout counter for me, and I then noted to the sales associate I could take over from there. Instead, the sales associate that said, “I want to hang with you; you’re friendly.” Again, while it was a nice compliment, I was perplexed. I didn’t feel I was doing anything out of the ordinary, but the response was more like it was a rare occurrence for the individual to just be treated nicely and with gratitude. As people, have we really lost all of our interpersonal skills and forgotten some of the basics? Friendliness? Appreciation? A nice smile? A good handshake? The ability to look someone in the eye?

I recently finished reading the book Boys on Boat by Daniel James Brown. The book is about “nine Americans and their epic quest for gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.” It might not be too difficult to figure out how the book ends, but the message throughout was one of working as a team.

Rowing crew is not an individual sport; each member had to work in perfect harmony to achieve their goals. You can’t work in harmony if you are at war or at odds with even one person in a group. The American Olympic teams’ accomplish-

ments were not a mistake and they did not accomplish their goals by being nega-tive with each other. Each person had to have the other’s back and work together.

An article I recently read stated, “Being nice to nice people is great, but be-ing nice to those who are not nice to you is how the world becomes better. We should not want to defeat or humiliate those we don’t agree with but to win their friendship and understanding.” We need to learn to let the little things go. Minor irritations...bad traffic, long lines, no milk in the refrigerator for a morning coffee ... are not worth getting spun up over. Keeping the thought in mind that everyone is doing their best can put a new spin on a situation.

The other day I got a call from “Windows” notifying me that my computer was infected and compromised. I was well aware of the scam and “called out” the person on the other end of the phone saying I knew he was lying. He assured me he was not, and we played a little “cat and mouse” until he finally realized the gig was up. The next thing he said surprised me. He asked if I knew where he could find a job.

I am pretty sure he was calling from an overseas sweatshop, but his statement made me think he really wanted to be doing the right thing, but for him, the only opportunities available were to be doing something that in essence took advantage of others. At that point I felt more empathy towards his dilemma.

As people, I think we have to learn to let the little things go and not get spun up about every perceived wrong doing. It takes a lot less effort to be happy than angry.

However, possessing happiness and positivity is a choice you have to make for yourself. No one can dictate your feelings. You are wholly in charge of your outlook on life. You can wake up every day and be a grump, or you can put on a smile and look at life with a cheery perspective.

I am not saying that I never get angry, have a bad day, or even throw a “tantrum,” but as I get older I am learning more and more that it benefits me to surround myself with the positive and walk away from the negative.

How do you react when things aren’t going well? Are you demanding, loud, angry? Not everyone we encounter is going to be a good personality match, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be nice. If you need guidance you can even turn to the internet - there’s a “Wiki” page for that - www.wikihow.com/Be-Nice!

You get back from the universe what you put into it. Honey or vinegar, what produces the best results for you?

[email protected] Danville Today News ~ June 2015 -

Danville Today News ~ August 2013 - Page 3

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Danville Home Sales List Price Sales Price SqFt Beds/Baths $/SqFt DOM1039 ALICANTE DR $900,000 $900,000 1984 4/2.5 $454 0348 BOLERO DR $1,450,000 $1,523,000 2944 3/3 $517 1803 BROOKSIDE DR $1,425,000 $1,525,000 2700 4/2 $565 51644 N CLEAR CREEK PL $762,000 $770,000 1676 3/2 $459 191204 DUTCH MILL DR $1,199,000 $1,265,000 2424 4/2.5 $522 410 ELIZABETH LN $1,795,000 $1,775,000 3360 4/3.5 $528 40441 EVERGREEN CT $965,000 $965,000 2107 4/2 $458 11991 S FOREST HILLS PL $760,000 $780,000 1745 4/2 $447 9304 GLENDORA CIR $1,600,000 $1,650,000 2664 4/3 $619 9105 GOLDEN HILLS CT $1,190,000 $1,361,000 3442 5/3.5 $395 151287 GREENBROOK DR $1,029,000 $1,140,000 2002 3/2 $569 9238 JOAQUIN DR $1,049,000 $1,079,000 2344 4/3 $460 9202 LOCH LOMOND WAY $1,499,000 $1,347,500 3638 5/3 $370 132302 MONTAIR DR $2,200,000 $2,000,000 4720 4/4.5 $424 3873 NOVARA CT $1,579,000 $1,575,000 3120 5/3 $505 321525 PETERS RANCH RD $799,000 $835,000 1946 3/2.5 $429 9989 RICHARD LN $1,199,000 $1,200,000 2964 4/3 $405 331630 SAINT DAVID DR $1,090,000 $1,146,000 2431 4/2.5 $471 1554 SAN GREGORIO CT $1,610,000 $1,560,000 3174 4/2.5 $491 32241 SAN REY PL $1,250,000 $1,250,000 2065 3/2.5 $605 1657 SHERI LN $1,365,000 $1,415,000 2008 4/2.5 $705 72445 TASSAJARA LN $1,895,000 $1,895,000 3870 5/4.5 $490 19814 TUNBRIDGE RD $1,419,000 $1,500,000 3286 4/3 $456 33 TYLER CT $1,748,000 $1,675,000 4511 5/4.5 $371 53724 YNEZ CIR $725,000 $765,000 1434 2/2 $533 16

Danville Community Band PerformanceAs Summer Was Just Beginning

Escape spring and burst into summer with the Danville Community Band and their season finale performance on June 14 at 3PM. They’ll be playing some tunes that may remind you of summertime activities or vacations including “Sunday in

the Park,” “Circus Galop,” “It’s A Small World,” Gersh-win’s “Strike up the Band,” and more! Also featured is a percussion concerto and one of the pieces the band performed recently at the As-sociation of Concert Band’s National Convention, Jan Van der Roost’s “Puszta.”

Since 2005 the band has presented a new musical

instrument to the winner of their annual Student Instrument Scholarship at their season finale concert. Candidates are nominated by their school music teacher, and the winner is selected from the group of applicants. This is the 11th year of the pro-gram, and the band has awarded more than 15 new instruments worth over $20,000.

Come celebrate the start of summer with this free concert which will take place at the Community Presbyterian Church, located at 222 W. El Pintado Road in Danville.

For more information about the band, visit www.danvilleband.org. The Danville Community Band is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Alamo-Danville Newcomers Club Are you new to the area, a long time resident, newly retired, or empty-nester

interested in making new friends and participating in various social activities? The Alamo-Danville Newcomers Club is a women’s organization whose purpose is to enrich the lives of all its members and their families in a social manner.

Check out all the club has to offer by visiting www.alamodanvillenewcomers.com. Our next new member coffee will be held in August. RSVP to [email protected].

California Invites the World Centennial of the Panama Pacific International Exposition at the Museum of the San Ramon Valley

Come celebrate 100 years of innovation and wonder at the Museum of the San Ramon Valley! Back in 1915, the San Francisco Bay Area was very excited about the Panama Pacific International Exposition. The Panama Canal had just opened in 1913 and San Francisco had proudly rebuilt after the 1906 Earthquake. The City hosted a grand exposition that drew nearly 19,000,000 visitors to the fair site in only nine months. It happened in what we know today as the Marina District. Visitors rode the enormous Aeroscope, watched aeroplanes soar in loops overhead and dive earthward, saw a phenomenal light show, and rubbed shoulders with luminaries such as Luther Burbank, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, President Theodore Roosevelt, and many others. Even the famous Liberty Bell came to San Francisco. Now in 2015, the same region has again mounted a kaleidoscope of attractions to celebrate anew that same spirit of innovation with an equal measure of enthusiasm just as in 1915.

“California Invites the World” runs through June 20th. It contains a magnificent display of Panama Pacific artifacts lent by the California State Library and private collectors. There is a great DVD of the exposition and a very funny 1915 silent film featuring two popular comedians of that era who visited the fair.

The Museum of the San Ramon Valley located at 205 Railroad Avenue, in Danville is open Tuesday – Friday 1pm – 4pm, Saturday 10am – 1pm, and Sunday Noon – 3pm.. For information call 925-837-3750, email [email protected], or visit www.museumsrv.org.

Meals on WheelsSeniors in your community need your support! Meals on Wheels and Se-

nior Outreach Services has been supporting seniors in YOUR neighborhood since 1968. Two of our programs, Meals on Wheels and Friendly Visitors, rely on the support of volunteers, and we need your help now more than ever. Meals on Wheels volunteer drivers deliver meals to local homebound seniors through regular two hour shifts once per week or as substitute drivers. Friendly Visitors volunteers provide weekly one-hour companionship visits to isolated seniors. To volunteer for either program, please call (925)937-8311.


Veterans of Foreign Wars Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States

(VFW), Post 75, San Ramon Valley, meets every third Wednesday of the month at the Veterans Memorial Building, located at 400 Hartz Avenue in Danville, on the corner at East Prospect Avenue and Hartz Avenue. Doors open at 7PM, and the meeting begins at 7:30PM. For more information, contact Post Commander Ernie Petagara at (925) 362-9806. Send mail to VFW Post 75 San Ramon Valley, P.O. Box 1092, Danville, CA 94526. Find out more about the VFW and our Post at www.vfwpost75.org.

Blackhawk “First Sunday” Cars & CoffeeBlackhawk Automotive Museum hosts a monthly Cars & Coffee event year round for all car enthusiasts.

Held on the “First Sunday” of each month, starting at 8AM and going to 10AM, the Museum welcomes all classic, collector, and special interest car owners and enthusiasts.

On Cars & Coffee Sundays the Museum opens an hour earlier, at 9AM, and participating car owners will receive complimentary Museum admission tickets.

The Museum is located at 3700 Blackhawk Plaza Circle in Danville. For more information, visit www.blackhawkmuseum.org/carsncoffee.html, call (925) 736-2280, or email [email protected].

Submit Applications for the 2015 Kiwanis Danville 4th of July ParadeThe San Ramon Valley Kiwanis Danville 4th of July Parade committee is accepting applications for

parade entries now thru June 25, 6pm. The theme of the Parade, proudly presented by Alamo Ace Hard-ware, will be “Kids on Bikes - Smart, Safe, and Healthy.” In partnership with Street Smarts San Ramon Valley, the parade will highlight the fun, health benefits, and safety of bicycling, starting at a young age and potentially lasting a lifetime. Register at www.kiwanis-srv.org/parade.asp today.

Mark your calendars for the July 4th parade which will start at 9AM. Expect about 125 entries in 24 different categories. Categories include Marching Unit, Band, Horse,

Float, Majorette, Parade Theme, Antique Auto, Bicycle, Novelty-Comic, Animal: Non-Horse, Special Interest Auto, Scout Troop, School, Dance/Theatrical, Family, Country Club, Neighborhood/Homeowner Association, Church Group, Retail Business, Service Business, Sports Team, and Community Service/Special Interest – Non-Profit Community Organizations, and Civic or Public Safety Organizations.

The Parade is an incredible event which typically attracts between 35,000 and 40,000 attendees. Some folks describe the parade as something from The Music Man and others say it’s simply the last vestiges of small town America.

The Kiwanis Club of San Ramon Valley is a community service club which is comprised of local busi-ness leaders and community residents who enjoy sharing good fellowship, building enduring friendships, and helping local organizations and individuals with community service projects and grant funding. For information on membership or how to be involved, please email [email protected].

Blue Star Mom CollectionsThe Blue Star Moms will be holding collection

drives on the following dates.• June 6 ~ 10AM to 3PM ~ Veterans Memorial Blvd.,

Danville• June 20 ~ 10AM to approximately 2PM, care pack-

age packing/mailing at Camp ParksFor more information or to find out how to drop off

other donations, contact Linda Johnson at [email protected]. Monetary donations are always appreci-ated to cover postage expenses. Checks can be made payable to and mailed to Blue Star Moms, PO Box 2537 San Ramon, CA 94538. For a list of items the group is looking for, visit www.bluestarmoms.org.

The following events will be held to raise funds for Blue Star Moms.

• June 29 from 5:30PM - 9PM ~ Gianni’s Restaurant, Tips for the Troops, 2065 San Ramon Valley Blvd., San Ramon. To make reservations, call (925) 820-6969 or visit www.opentable.com/giannis-italian-bistro?rid=108103&restref=108103.

GFWC Danville Women’s Club Join us for lunch on Thursday, June 4th! We will be installing the new officers for

2015-2016. Also, the featured speaker is Danville Mayor, Mike Doyle. We gather at our Clubhouse, located at 242 W. Linda Mesa Ave. in Danville at 11:30am, and lunch is served at noon followed by the program and business meeting. Reservations can be made by calling 925-837-1165 or by contacting a Club member. Guests are always

welcome, and lunch is free for first-timers. It’s a great way to discover who we are and what we do in our communities.

On Thursday, May 7th the Club held their 19th An-nual Fashion Show. The event, held at Blackhawk Country Club, included a luncheon and fashion show featuring Chico’s. “The Perfect Fit” event was a smashing success and raised money not only for Hospice of the East Bay, but other local charities as well such as Valley Oaks Respite Care, The Discovery Center, Child Abuse Council, Meals on Wheels, Blue Star Moms, Capes4Heroes, and many others.

On Thursday, May 21st the Club celebrated our high school scholarship recipients. The students, parents, and counselors were treated to a lunch before the award certificates were presented. Also attending was Con-nie Iglesias, Del Amigo School Counselor who was presented with funds for scholarships or other school needs. The Club also sponsors a sophomore to attend the EDGE youth leadership seminar and provides an art scholarship to a student in the Tri-Valley. The art scholarship will be presented at the June 4th meeting.

After June 4th, we adjourn for the summer. The Board will be planning for the next year’s pro-grams and events. Meetings resume in the fall on Thursday, September 17th. We hope you will join us.

The 104 year old Danville Women’s Club is a member of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) International, and the GFWC California Federation of Women’s Clubs (CFWC). For more information about any of our meetings/events or the Club, please visit www.danvillewomensclub.org.

Did you know that our Clubhouse is available for rental at reasonable rates? Call 925-837-1165 or email [email protected] for complete details.

Scholarship recipients: Sarah Cynn (MVHS), Katie Chan (DVHS), Alejandro Vasquez-Gutierrez (CHS.) not able to attend was Isabel Gervis (SRVHS).

Club women models: Karen Lee, Rita Johnson, Bonnie Braga, Darlene Feyler, Stacy Martindale, Beverly Walsh and Jane Felicelli

Treats for the TroopsDelta Nu Psi is collecting “gourmet junk food” to

send to American troops in Afghanistan. The group will continue sending packages as long as American military members are in the War Zone. Much of the food sent is not normally available to the troops. So far Delta Nu Psi has sent 1,309 boxes weighing a total 31,497 pounds to the troops.

On June 12th Delta Nu Psi members will be at Lu-nardi’s in Danville and on June 5th they will be at CVS Pharmacy in Alamo. Collections will be held from 11am to 2pm both days, rain or shine. Money for postage is also always appreciated.

For more information, visit www.deltanupsi.org.

Do you have a story idea or sporting news?

Do you want to place an ad?Contact us at 925.405.6397 or editor@ yourmonthlypaper.com


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San Ramon Valley Kiwanis Foundation Awards $34,000 in GrantsThe San Ramon Valley Kiwanis Foundation has awarded $34,000 in grants to 43 area non-profit agencies this year. The grants were presented at the

club’s annual grants breakfast ceremony. Representatives of the recipient organizations made brief presentations on the programs the Kiwanis grants support.Kiwanis of San Ramon Valley has awarded nearly $700,000 through their grants program since 1995. This year, grant amounts ranged from $250 to

$2,500, including a grant to the San Ramon Valley Educational Foundation for $2,500 for distribution to worthy school projects that the Education Founda-tion identifies. First time grant recipients this year included EPIC Healthy Clinic, Hearing Loss Association of America, New Day for Children, and The Tri-Valley Youth Court.

Other recipients included Agape Villages Foster Family Agency, Assistance Leagues of Amador Valley and Diablo Valley, Bay Area Crisis Nursery, Camp Camelot, Cancer Support Community, Care Parent Network of Contra Costa ARC, Child Abuse Prevention Council of Contra Costa, Contra Costa Interfaith Housing, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Danville Community Band, Diablo Valley Veterans Foundation, Diablo Valley Quilters, Discovery Counseling Center of SRV, Down Syndrome Connection, Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, Hope Hospice, Inc., Hospice of the East Bay, Loaves & Fishes, Moment by Moment, Monument Crisis Center, Museum of the San Ramon Valley, National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse, Nayeli Faith Foundation, Ombudsman Services of Contra Costa, Police and Fire: The Fallen Heroes, St. Timothy’s Bicycle Program, San Ramon Historic Foundation, San Ramon Library Foundation, School of Imagination, Senior Helpline Services, Shelter Inc. of CCC, SonRise Equestrian Foundation, STAND! For Families Free of Violence, The Lucille Glass Mauzy Foundation, The Taylor Family Foundation, VESTIA, Inc. and We Care Services for Children.

Funds for the annual grants program are raised by the San Ramon Valley Kiwanis Foundation, primarily through the solicitation of sponsorships of the Kiwanis 4th of July Parade in Danville, which the Kiwanis Club has been organizing and conducting since 1975. Grant applications are solicited in February of each year and awarded in May with an additional several thou-sand dollars held in reserve to provide emergency grants and fund additional Kiwanis community projects throughout the year.

Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time. Founded in 1915 and celebrat-ing their 100th Anniversary, Kiwanis International is a thriving organization of service and community minded individuals who support children and young adults around the world. More than 600,000 Kiwanis improve the world around them by addressing needs in their communities and pooling their resources to address worldwide issues. Through these efforts, Kiwanis International truly is “Serving the Children of the World.”

Additional information about the Kiwanis Club of the San Ramon Valley may be obtained at their website, www.kiwanis-srv.org. The club holds weekly lun-cheon meetings at noon on the 1st, 2nd and 4th Thursdays, and a 6PM evening meet-ing on the 3rd Wednesdays, all at Round Hill Country Club in Alamo. Everyone is welcome to join the club for a meeting to find out more about the organization.


Lost Dog!

Danville Dog is MissingHe has become lost in this paper!

Sharyn Mitzo is our winner!

If you find him and your name is drawn!

He is very small, so you will have to look hard if you want to find him.

To be eligible send a letter telling us where you found him, along with your name and address, to:

Lost Dog! ~ Danville Today News3000F Danville Blvd #117 • Alamo, CA 94507

$50 REWARD

Search and RescueThe Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team needs volunteer

members to respond to missing person incidents, disasters, and other critical incidents. Team members are on call 24/7 year-round. The program provides required training; including wilderness traveling, first aid, map and compass us-age, tracking disaster response, and search skills; and may also include special training for canine, equestrian, technical, mountain bike, or other rescue skills. For information and applications, visit www.contracostasar.org or call 646-4461.

Fun, Sun, and MusicConcerts in the ParkBy Candace Andersen, Contra Costa County Supervisor

Summer is around the corner, and with it brings one of my favorite activities in our area of the County to enjoy with friends and family: the Summer Concerts hosted by so many of our communities every year. Each has put together a wide range of musical talents for

everyone to enjoy, and I thought it would be helpful to list them all in one place. The concerts are held on different nights of the week, and the music reflects

many different genres. The park settings and a picnic dinner are perfect compli-ments to an evening of music outdoors. It’s a great opportunity to showcase your own community or visit a new one! It’s also a nice way to support local busi-nesses by purchasing your meal “to go” from one of our exceptional restaurants.Alamo – Held at Livorna Park, Friday evenings, 6:30PM – 8:30PM. Call (925) 313-2272 for information.

• June 19 ~ The Sun Kings (Beatles Tribute Band)• July 3 ~ Mixed Nuts (Classic Pop)• July 17 ~ Houserockers (Rock/Blues)• July 31 ~ The Fabulous Cruise Tones (Classic Pop)• August 14 ~ Moonalice (Classic Rock)

Danville – Held at Oak Hill Park, Saturday nights, 6PM – 8PM. Call (925) 314-3400 for information.

• July 11 ~ Tainted Love (80’s Rock) • July 25 ~ Platinum Rockstars (Classic Rock Tribute) • August 8 ~ The Joy Drops (American/Bluegrass) • August 23 ~ Foreverland Band (14-piece Michael Jackson Tribute)

Lafayette – Rock the Plaza (at intersection of Moraga Road and Mt. Diablo Blvd.), Friday nights, 6:30PM - 8:30PM. Call (925) 284-7404 for information.

• June 5 ~ The 925 Band• June 12 ~ The Megatones• June 19 ~ The Accents• June 26 ~ Lamorinda Teen Idol Finalists

San Ramon – Held in Central Park, Sunday nights, 6PM. Call (925) 973-3200 for information.

• July 4 ~ California Beach Party - Featuring California Beach Boys (5 – 8PM)• July 12 ~ Big Band Beat (Bay Area Favorite Party Band)• July 19 ~ Notorius (Pop & Rock Hits from the 90’s and Today)• July 26 ~ Elton John Tribute Band • August 2 ~ Rebel Yell (80’s Music)• August 9 ~ ForeJour (Foreigner Tribute Band) Walnut Creek – Held in Stanford’s parking lot, the Thursday nights Sum-

mer Concert Series and Block Party begins in August, from 6PM – 8:30PM. Call (925) 939-7601 for information.

• August 6 ~ Petty Theft (Tom Petty Tribute Band)• August 13 ~ Unauthorized Rolling Stones (Rolling Stones Tribute Band)• August 21 ~ Journey Revisited (Journey Tribute Band) Have a great, safe summer and I hope you have a chance to take advantage

of the free concerts with your family and friends in our wonderful communities.My office is here to serve the residents of Contra Costa County District

2, which includes San Ramon, Danville, Alamo, Walnut Creek, Saranap, Parkmead, Lafayette, Moraga, Canyon, and Orinda. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if we can provide you with additional information on this topic or on other County issues. I can be reached at [email protected] or (925) 957-8860.

Museum Volunteers Needed Looking to get involved in the community? The Museum of the San Ramon Valley

needs your help. Volunteer positions are available in the following areas:• Walking Tour Docents • Docents• Events Committee • Greeters• Educational Programs (One Room School/Indian Life) Call Eve or Donna at 552-9693, or email [email protected]

for additional information.

Sons in Retirement A non-profit public benefit organization for retired menSan Ramon Valley - Branch 128

Looking for things to do in your retirement? Consider joining Sons in Retirement San Ramon Valley - Branch 128. We have monthly luncheons with interesting speakers and good fellowship. Additionally, our members have lots of fun participating in a variety of activities such as golf, tennis, bowling, bocce ball, bridge, computers, and much more. Many other activi-ties such as travel, dine outs, excursions, baseball games, and holiday parties include spouses, friends, and guests.

Our next monthly luncheon will be held on Wednesday, June 17th at 11AM at the San Ramon Golf Club, located at 9430 Fircrest Lane in San Ramon. The $23 fee includes luncheon, speaker, and a great opportunity to socialize with at least 150 other retirees from the San Ramon Valley. Our June guest speaker will be Theresa Stern, Director of Alumni and Outreach Services for “Guide Dogs for the Blind.”

To reserve a space, please email [email protected] by Thursday, June 11th.For more information about our Retirement branch and activities, please

go visit www.SIR128.com.Las Trampas - Branch 116

Sons In Retirement - Branch 116 welcomes guests to socialize with us at our monthly luncheon beginning at 11:30AM on Monday, June 15th. The speaker, Duane Spencer, one of the few Forensic Dental Consultants in North America and a member of both State and Federal emergency response groups, will be discussing some of his most interesting events/cases. Duane has worked on a number of Bay Area tragedies, including the 1982 Caldecott Tunnel Fire, the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake/Cypress Freeway Collapse, the 1991 East Bay Firestorm, and the 2010 San Bruno PG&E pipeline explo-sion. He will briefly discuss these events as well other cases of interest, and you will find Duane’s “puzzle solving” experiences fascinating. Lunch is $15 and held at the Walnut Creek Elks Lodge located at 1475 Creekside Drive. Guests are welcome and may make reservations by calling 925-322-1160.

If you are retired or semi-retired and want to make new friends, participate in fun activities and better enjoy your leisure time, we welcome you to join with us. Our member activities include book discussions, bridge, comput-ers, dine-outs, fishing, golf, hiking/walking, investments, poker, travel, wine tastings and more fun things. In addition, we have special golf events and bridge tournaments where wives, partners and guests are welcome. If these are activities you like to do, then you may find even greater enjoyment in doing them with the friendly group of retirees in the SIRs organization. For infor-mation about our activities for retired men, please visit www.Branch116.org.

[email protected]

St. Isidore SchoolBy Maria Ward, Principal

Hello Summer…What a year! Where did the

time go? We just celebrated gradu-ation with our beloved 8th grade graduates. We feel blessed to have shared such a vital part in their educational journey with each of them. Most have been here for the full nine years, and for some families it is their last graduate at Saint Isidore. We honor those families and are grateful for their love and commitment to our school. As expected, there were many tears during the graduation ceremony from our students, parents, and teachers. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors and look forward to the days when they return to campus and visit with us, as most do.

Our parish summer faith camp will be held June 15th through the 19th. This year the theme is “Everest, Conquering Challenges with God’s mighty Power.” We enjoy seeing so many different students from our school and parish community come together and share in their Catholic faith. Many of our middle school students volunteer to assist the adult staff and earn service hours towards their annual service hour goal. Our Pastor, Fr. Moran, also participates with daily visits in supporting our summer faith camp. If you have a child that is interested, please call our Parish at 925-837-2122 and ask for our Faith Formation Office. It is a fun, faith-filled week.

As our students enjoy these summer days, we hope they take time to relax as well as spend time with their family and friends. We get so busy during the school year that this is the perfect time to have some down time and to slow down a bit. It is a perfect time to rekindle friendships and cherish those around us who we love and may have forgotten to let them know. We are encouraging our students to keep reading during the summer, and we look forward to hear-ing what wonderful books they had the opportunity to dive into.

On behalf of our staff and faculty, we thank our St. Isidore commu-nity for their support. Being at a Catholic school, we continually strive to model the footsteps of our Lord. We believe that parents are the primary educators of their children. We at St. Isidore are collaborators with our parents on this endeavor. We would like to thank our St. Isidore parents for sending us your children and trusting us with your most pre-cious gift. We pray that as we

come to a close this school year, our stu-dents continue to live out the message of the Gospels in their words and actions. Please continue to go to Mass during the summer, and I hope to see you there.

Danville Today News ~ June 2015 -

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deadly mistakes that cost them literally thousands of dollars. The good news is that each and every one of these mistakes is entirely preventable. In answer to this issue, industry insiders have prepared a free special report entitled "The 9 Step System to Get Your Home Sold Fast and For Top Dollar".

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Stone Valley Middle SchoolBy Jenise Falk, Principal

We are excited to welcome the newly selected principal, Mr. Jon Campopiano to Stone Valley. He has already met our staff and some students. Mr. Campopiano will begin his tenure at SVMS in August. It has been my pleasure to serve this wonderful com-munity these past months, and I have enjoyed getting to know the staff, parents, and most especially our terrific student body. Our 8th graders promote June

11th, and we wish them well as they head off to our local high schools. They are an amazingly talented class that is ready to achieve much. Congratula-tions to the high school graduating class of 2019!

Below is a letter to the community from Mr. Campopiano. Have a won-derful summer! Dear Stone Valley Community,

I would like to take this opportunity to express how excited I am to be the next principal of Stone Valley Middle School. Over the summer months, I will be spending a lot of time getting to know the school community as well as continuing to hear what makes Stone Valley such a unique and special place. One of the most important aspects of my work as principal is building solid relationships with staff, students, and families. It is very important for me to be in the hallways, lunch areas, classrooms, and school events getting to know the students. My past experiences have shown me that students greatly appreciate and do their best when they know that adults believe in them. Together, we will continue to develop Personal Responsibility, Re-spect, Integrity, Dependability and Effort (PRIDE) in all our students to help prepare them for high school, college, and beyond.

I have spent most of my life in the East Bay. After attending UC Davis for my undergraduate degree, I earned my Masters of Education from UC Santa Barbara and my Administrative degree from Cal State East Bay. My wife, Karna, and I have three amazing children, Sam (12), Matt (10), and Nico (6). I love reading, coaching youth sports, and capturing memories with family and friends.

Professionally, I started my educational career in the Pittsburg Unified School District as a 7th grade CORE and AVID teacher. After three years of middle school, I taught social studies at Northgate High School, while also serving as the leadership teacher, athletic director, and varsity baseball coach. Over the past six years I served as a vice principal at both the middle and high school levels in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District. Currently, I am an Associate Principal at Miramonte High School in the Acalanes Union High School District.

I am thrilled to join such a thriving school community and am deeply committed to making a positive impact in the lives of our students. The first day of school can’t get here fast enough! Thank you for welcoming me into this great community!

I wish you an excellent end of the school year and a summer filled with laughter and adventure. Sincerely, Jon Campopiano, Principal

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Bullying is Never JustifiedBy Alison Watson, San Ramon Valley High, senior

There are seven billion people in this world, 38 million in California, and 42 thousand in Danville, and we all are interconnected; our actions have consequences. In some small insignificant way we affect those around us, and society cannot possibly succeed if that impact is a negative one. We should be wanting one another to succeed, not tearing each other down, and it is not acceptable to give out hall passes to these ridiculers who find excuses for their actions. Bullying has become an epidemic for the 21st century and, with technological advances, saying something hateful to another person takes all of seconds of tapping on keys and pressing send. It is abhorrent for people to constantly bash others, and it needs to be put to an end. Everyone is accountable for this issue: those who say it, those who ignore that they know it’s happening, those who don’t tell anyone it’s happening, and those who wrongfully punish the people who are willing to fight to put a stop to it (for themselves or for those who don’t have the voice to stand up for themselves).

Bullying is unacceptable no matter your age, stature, or authority over someone else. There will always be people who want you to fail in life, who want to ridicule your every move but it is rare and far between that someone will stand up for another who is too scared to put a stop to it themselves. These few should be exalted that they possess the rare courage to stand up and fight for others. It is an underrated quality that is not often seen anymore. To reprimand such ac-tions is to send the message that it is okay to criticize others, that it is okay to be harsh and unrelenting (whether it be with your words or your fists), and that it is okay to let off your frustrations with your own everyday stresses on other people. We have to be accountable for our words and for our actions. We can’t claim victim in one breath and victimize others in the next.

Anti-bullying has to start somewhere. It has to start in our education system, in our homes, and in every aspect of everyday life. Too many lives have been lost to this kind of behavior, and bullying should no longer be tolerated. Humanity needs to implement a just system of evaluation in schools, where kids won’t feel afraid to come forward, where frustrated people won’t feel the need to take matters into their own hands to ratify the situation, and where those who advocate for the fair treat-ment of everyone, not just the select few, aren’t penalized for their morality. We can’t have count-less assemblies on standing up to bullies and not reinforce this concept. But most importantly we can’t let the bullies win. They are accountable. Bullying is unacceptable. And mankind will never progress if we allow this kind of behavior to become an accepted norm.

Charlotte Wood Middle SchoolBy Christopher George, Principal

We are getting close to the end of another great year! We are proud of the work of our kids and our teachers and hope that everybody is getting ready for a great summer.

We have had a lot going on and we are proud to tell you that we recently named a Gold Ribbon School for 2015. This award is a testament to the hard work of our teachers and kids and the support we received from our community. We are proud to share this award with seven

other middle schools in our district which is likewise a testament to the quality schools we have in the San Ramon Valley.

We’ve had many great events to celebrate the end of the year. Recently we held our third annual field day. This event is completely student run by our lead-ership class and was a great success. It couldn't have been successful, however, without the support of the many parent volunteers who came to help. I’d like to give a huge thanks to the kids in our leadership class and to Ms. Jakus for their hard work on this great, community building day.

As we get towards the end of the year we are proud to celebrate our eighth-graders moving on to high school and to once again welcome another class of incoming sixth-grade students. We have already begun the hard work of scheduling kids for next year.

Next year we are proud to announce that we will be working with the Challenge Success organization out of Stanford University and will be a pilot for a Restor-ative Justice program. We hope these two programs further help improve our climate and continue to make Charlotte Wood Middle School a great place for kids.

As we end the year we always want to thank you for our community for your continued support. Please continue to let us know your questions and concerns. You can reach me at [email protected].

San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society

The San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society was formed in 1985 and now has over 170 mem-bers. The group meets at 10AM the third Tuesday of every month, except in August and December. The group gathers at the Danville Family History Center located at 2949 Stone Valley Road, Alamo.

The group also conducts educational class-es for its members and has various special interest groups.

Everyone is welcome. For information, call Ed at (925) 299-0881, visit www.srvgensoc.org, or email [email protected].


Del Amigo High SchoolBy Joe Ianora, Principal

It is hard to believe, but it is true - the school year is almost over! We are entering into our final days, with graduation on June 3rd and the final day of school on June 11th…then we are out for the summer! I would like to share a few thoughts and reflections as we near the end of the school year:Graduation

On June 3rd we will be celebrating along with 39 seniors as we graduate them from Del Amigo. The ceremony, which takes place at the Performing Arts Center on the San Ramon Valley High School campus, will highlight student speakers and singers. Mr. Scott Giles, Para Educator will be address-ing the Class of 2015. We are excited to have our Superintendent of schools, Mary Shelton and Board Member, Mark Jewett handing out our diplomas.Awards

Our Del Amigo students have been fortunate to have scholarship money available to them due to the generosity of our community. We have six different scholarship available to our students. They are: Alamo Women’s club - $500, Anonymous donor - $5,000, Danville-Sycamore Rotary Scholarship - $500, Danville Women’s Club - $500, Danville Rotary Club - $500, and San Ramon Valley Council of PTA’s Scholarship – $500, awarded to Zack Orcutt.Field trips/projects

The last month of school we have been very busy with “hands-on projects” and many field trips. We are just finishing up our hovercraft project. This has been an exciting project and a real learning experience for students and our teachers! We have traveled to the Bedford Gallery to view the new art exhibit, volunteered at the Contra Costa Food Bank, explored the Exploratorium in San Francisco, and viewed the Las Precitas Art Murals in San Francisco.

Del Amigo has been changing and growing as we continue to receive stu-dents from all over the district. The Alamo and Danville communities have been a tremendous support. I want to give the community, parents, staff and students of Del Amigo a big THANK YOU! This was a very positive year, and we would not have been as successful without your support.Endings

As the year comes to a close, I will be ending my tenure at Del Amigo. Amy Oss from Fairfield Unified will be the new principal. While it is possible I will remain within this district, I am excited to explore other exciting career opportunities outside of here. My 11 years (past three at Del Amigo) of serving this community have been full of wonderful experiences and people. I have been blessed with amazing students and parents – thank you for entrusting your student to our school. I have appreciated your support and will miss you!

Enjoy your summer!

San Ramon Valley Christian Academy By Jamie Westgate, Principal

I have never liked bittersweet chocolate. I think the bitterness is just too harsh for my taste buds. Gradu-ations are a bit like bittersweet chocolate; although there is sweetness in watching kids advance to the next stage of life, there is harshness toward the sur-render. For nine years, our 8th grade graduates have prepared for high school. They have sung their ABC’s, memorized math facts, and learned to take turns. They

solved equations, annotated literature, and developed oratory skills. All of these skills are needed for life but none will be needed more than their ability to ap-ply Biblical scripture to life. God told us we are to consider others better than ourselves. He also mentioned that we don’t need to worry as God will go with us wherever we go. God has plans for our lives that are for good and not for harm. Sending out our 8th graders with a solid understanding of God’s Truth is the most important part of their preparation as it will guard their hearts and their minds for the challenges ahead in the adult lives.

As we prepare to launch our graduates to high school, we also welcome in sum-mer… a delight for every student and teacher! Many parents ask me what they can do to enrich their child’s 10 week vacation. Although reading novels and complet-ing math workbooks keep skills sharp, I recommend some old fashioned fun that we often forget to introduce to our children. I have made a list for all the moms and dads who need a refresher of those sorts of things we enjoyed about summer.

• Get out all the unused blankets and sheets and build a big fort. Spend time reading in there, maybe even with a flashlight.

• Lie on your back and make pictures out of the clouds. It’s amazing how creative our imaginations will be if we use them!

• Make popsicles with Dixie cups and juice.• Use big cardboard boxes and duct tape to build a dollhouse or bird feeder. • Look for shooting stars when there is a new moon and the sky is extra dark. • Feed the ducks at Blackhawk Plaza (they sell duck food at Draeger’s).• Take your children to Oak Hill Park to visit the All Wars Memorial. Discuss

the sacrifice our soldiers make and how our freedom isn’t free.• Play Old Maid, Go Fish, Crazy 8s, and other card games.• Fill spray bottles with food coloring and water, and then “paint” old sheets to

make banners and signs. They can be washed in the washer and repainted again.Today’s kids are so used to filling their days with technology, organized

activities, and other events that many are not learning the simple benefits from developing an imagination.

Congratulations to our 8th grade graduates! We are proud of you and look forward to hearing about all God has in store for your futures. Happy summer to the rest of our student body and to the Danville community!

An Evening with the Stars By Jim ScalaDrive up Mt. Diablo on June 20th, and arrive at the lower summit parking lot by about 7:30PM for an inspiring evening with the stars. The program

will begin at 8PM. You’ll see the universe as never before. Members of the Mt. Diablo Astronomical society (MDAS) will be standing by their telescopes to show you celestial objects. The views will capture your imagination, and the night sky will never be the same again. Every visitor says, “Wow!” many times during a viewing.

Astronomy is called the “gateway science” because many scientists, engineers, and medical doctors say their scientific curiosity was sparked and nur-tured by looking through an amateur’s telescope. MDAS’s main mission is outreach. Any member will say, “We like to show everyone what’s out there.” The programs for 2015 are outstanding. They will inspire anyone and cause many young people to think about science.

By about 11PM you’ll leave on an escorted drive down the mountain with much to discuss. Return on one or all of the dates shown below for more inspir-ing evenings.

June 20, 8PM ~ Supernova! ~ Why do some stars explode? Which star is next? Would you exist without supernovae? Take home a sky map of stars that will explode as supernovae.

July 18, 7:30PM ~ Explore our Sun ~ How does the Sun power Earth? Arrive at 7:30 to safely view the Sun through telescopes. After sunset, view the rest of the stars in our Galaxy.

August 15, 7:30PM ~ Our Place in our Galaxy ~ Build a mental model of our Milky Way Galaxy – and our place in it. Find the center of our galaxy. Tour the telescopes through our galaxy.

September 19, 6:30PM ~ Moon: Earth’s Lost Rock ~ How would Earth be different without the Moon? How is our Earth like our Moon? Explore the surface of the Moon in telescopes. You’ll be ready for the eclipse of September 27th.

October 17, 6PM ~ Search for Alien Worlds ~ What will the first alien life we discover likely look like? Explore where weird life exists on Earth. What does that tell us about life elsewhere in the galaxy? Which stars have planets where life might exist?

For more information, visit www.mdas.net. Click on “Public Program” for a link to the 2015 Event Calendar and also a link for directions to Mt. Diablo and the Lower Summit Parking Lot. Plan to enter the park before sunset, and allow 30 minutes for the drive to the lower summit lot. Better yet, arrive early, bring a sandwich, and watch astronomers set up telescopes. Even that will be a learning experience.


Monte Vista High SchoolBy Janet Terranova, Principal

It is hard to believe that summer vacation is right around the corner. The gloomy May weather has helped keep students focused on school and less on the beach.

As a society we continue to grabble with the benefits and the challenges of technology and social media. This month I was able to witness a phenom-enal benefit of technology. Last semester we had an exchange student from Germany. She returned

home in February, but before she left, the student, her history teacher, Ms. Perruso, and I discussed the possibility of a Skype lesson with her tenth grade class - Gymnasium Syke in Bremen, Germany. It was an amazing morning.

Our students came at 7:30am to hear a presentation by the German students who had interviewed a World War II German soldier. Through their presenta-tion our students learned about his life and service during the war, the rise of the Nazi party, and events like Kristallnacht from the perspective of a German soldier. His story included details about how confusing and difficult it was for German soldiers during and after the war years as he was not a supporter of the Nazi ideology. At first, students from both classes were hesitant to ask questions and delve into some of the deeper issues. But, with face-to-face contact, and seeing their former classmate, a wonderful conversation ensued.

Our students asked questions about the war and its effects on German society today. Monte Vista students made connections between the oppres-sion of Jews during the Nazi era and the oppression of Black Americans in the 19th and 20th century. Students from both countries commented that the persecution imposed upon others by previous generations was a burden and responsibility that their generation continued to carry even though the students had not participated in the prejudice or discrimination. To see the critical thinking skills demonstrated by our students was impressive.

As the students become more familiar with each other, questions moved from history to current lifestyles. Students asked each other questions about learning a second or third language, music, school organization, etc. which helped students to see their similarities rather than their differences. Our students reflected that this exchange was fun, and all had a desire to meet with this class again. Our teachers from Germany and Monte Vista plan to continue the conversations next year and hope to include a discussion on literature as well as history.

The end of the year is a busy time for our students. If you want to know more about Monte Vista and our activities, visit www.mvhs.schoolloop.com.

San Ramon Valley High School By Ruth Steele, PrincipalHigh school graduation is one of the most eagerly anticipated events on the high school calendar. For hundreds of thousands

of teenagers across the nation, the countdown began back in August. June 12th marks the culmination of 12 years of learning - endless hours of classwork, homework, and test taking!

Throughout SRVUSD the high school graduation rate is almost 100%. The majority of students go onto two or four year schools with some making the decision to enter the workforce or the service. These are impressive statistics and some of the highest in the nation.

Whether or not students will graduate or take the next step after high school is not the issue in a school district as successful as ours (the average graduation rate across the US is 75%), but there is still an issue. The question now, as our graduates face an increasingly unclear future, is whether or not they are truly “college and career ready.”

The question that I believe has to be asked is whether or not our education system has properly prepared students to cope with the challenges of college or the “real world.” Being able to excel on standardized tests, or memorize formulas, does not mean that students

are effective learners. The characteristics below are listed by employers as being the most valuable in their employees. But are these the qualities that we are seeking to develop in our K-12 classrooms?

Employers look for integrity, work ethic, team player, positive attitude and enthusiasm, adaptability and flexibility, effective communication and confidence, openness and receptivity to feedback, creative thinking, critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration, conflict management and negotiation skills, resilience and perseverance.

If these are not the qualities that we are instilling in our students, then we are short-changing them and losing sight of our primary responsibility. The purpose of school is not to make sure that students are “learned” but to prepare them to be successful “learners.”

Failure is a good thing: if you can recover from it, struggling with com-plex concepts is vital if it helps you to problem solve and apply knowledge. As educators and parents, these are the lessons that will help our students and children to thrive as they prepare for a future that none of us have ex-perienced or fully understand.

I would like to congratulate the graduating class of 2015. My hope is that we (educators and parents) have been able to provide you with the tools to succeed no matter what path you take. Every single one of you has the capacity to be successful in whatever you choose to pursue. The path may not always be smooth, and you may stumble along the way, but it’s the journey that you should cherish. Good luck and enjoy the journey!

I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. ~ Jimmy Dean

[email protected]

Cleaning the Chemicals out of your HomeBy Cynthia Ruzzi, President Sustainable Danville Area

Growing up, cleaning wasn’t just about removing the dust. Our house wasn’t clean until you could smell the Pine-Sol, Lysol, Windex, and Mr. Clean through-out. While many of us now use cleaning products that include enticing scents like magnolia-lily or jasmine-mint, these synthetic fragrances just mask the noxious solvents that we use in our households year-after-year. Many conventional clean-ing products are based on petrochemical VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and create air pollution within your home. Unfortunately, these chemicals build up in your home each time you use these cleaners. As they evaporate, the can make their way into your body and are dangerous to your health, causing diz-ziness, eye irritation, skin rashes, and respiratory problems. I decided long ago that it isn’t worth risking my family’s health, and so I set out to find alternative products to make my home sparkle.

Once I started my research, I couldn’t believe how many things could be cleaned with white vinegar. The magical elixir of half vinegar and half water cleans everything in my home from windows to toilets. I even add a little bak-ing soda and grape seed oil to wash apples and other fruit before eating. Kids love the ‘science experiment’ caused when mixing these ingredients – just one tablespoon of baking soda added to the water and vinegar provides an entertaining show of foaming bubbles.

For cooktop and oven cooking, you guessed it…vinegar and water works wonderfully for general cleaning, and for those stubborn stains – mix half sea salt and baking soda, add water to form a paste, cover the spot and let it sit for ten minutes and then spray with your vinegar mixture to scrub your ‘Comet’ clean. For the most serious gunk, I turn to Bon Ami, the “barkeepers’ friend” which is rated a 10 for health by GoodGuide.com.

Since we’re talking ‘gunk,’ nothing is worse in my book than cleaning grout. For most situations, I find if I dampen the area with water and then sprinkle bak-ing soda on the spot followed by a light scrubbing with an old toothbrush, things look as good as new. I read that one part hydrogen peroxide to one part water is great for getting rid of mold. Only mix what you’ll need for the current applica-tion as hydrogen peroxide loses effectiveness when exposed to light, air, and water. This explains why it’s sold in brown bottles. Hydrogen peroxide is also a wonderful alternative to bleach. Add a cup to your whites as you would bleach,

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and enjoy the whitening benefits without the problems associated with laundry bleach to you and your clothes. These problems include chemical off-gassing, possible eye irritation, and skin burns. Chlorine bleach is also harsh on the fibers of your favorite clothes, shortening their life. While we’re talking about laundry, use laundry soap without NPE (nonylphenol ethoxylate) which is an endocrine disrupter and estrogen mimic. In other words, it can mess with your hormones and reproductive functions. Unfortunately, manufacturers’ aren’t required to disclose detailed ingredients and such information to consumers. Once again, I turned to GoodGuide.com for product reviews, and boy was I surprised to find that the brand with the cute snuggly bear fairs the worst in several environmental categories!

Below are a few of my favorite ways to save money and reduce chemicals when cleaning.

Air Freshener: Add 10 drops lavender (or other essential oil) and 2 tablespoons baking soda to 2 cups hot water. Pour into spray bottle. For a whole house fresh-ener, bring 2 cups of water with 2 tablespoons of cinnamon to boil and let simmer on the stove top.

Disinfectant: Mix 20-30 drops tea tree extract, 3 tablespoons castile soap and 3 tablespoons white vinegar in a 16-ounce sprayer and top with water.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Sprinkle baking soda in toilet, spray with vinegar and scrub.

Furniture Polish: Mix ½ cup lemon juice and ¾ cup olive oil in a spray bottle. Polish furniture with a soft cloth.

Dishwashing Rinse: Use white vinegar. I just pour it straight into the compart-ment for spot-free glasses and dinnerware.

While we’re cleaning, there’s one more thing to ‘clean out’ of your routine -- antibacterial soaps and hand-sanitizers. Most of these products rely on Triclosan, which is an active ingredient in pesticides. Triclosan is quickly absorbed into the skin, and when it enters the blood stream it is known to cause allergies and hormonal and neurological side effects. Our dear friend Peggy Yamamoto shares her secret alternative as gifts in lovely blue glass bottles: Mix 3 ounces vodka, ½ teaspoon glycerin, 15 drops tea tree oil, 25 drops lavender oil.

Share your special natural cleaner with us at [email protected], or friend us at www.facebook.com/sustainabledanville.


Alamo’s 1st & Only Pediatric Dentist!Alamo Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics Welcomes Dr. Allan Pang

(925) 831-8310

Dr. Pang completed his undergraduate degree at the University of California, San Diego. He earned his Doctorate of Dental Medicine at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts. After Tufts he completed a General Practice Residency at University of California, Los Angeles. Thereafter, Dr. Pang practiced general dentistry in the community of Los Gatos, California for two years. It was during this time that he realized how much he enjoyed working with his pediatric patients and returned to school to specialize in Pediatric Dentistry. His residency in Pediatric Dentistry at New York University-Bellevue Hospital in New York City allowed for him to have extensive training in treating the well child and those with special healthcare needs such as children with craniofacial disorders and developmental disabilities.

Dr. Pang has been in private practice since 2008. He is a Board Certified Pediatric Dentist, a Diplomate with the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, and a member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

[email protected] Danville Today News ~ June 2015 - The Lure of the Big IslandBy Lisa Kallen, Alamo World Travel

To those of us who have lived on the East Coast, Hawaii has always been an exotic destination that promises fragrant breezes and endless beaches. Now that I am a California girl, Hawaii has been that much easier to get to -- a week-end jaunt to Oahu, a hiking adventure on Kauai, a romantic getaway to Maui. And, there is the Big Island, inescapably huge and yet somehow bypassed.

This year, when my 21-year-old twins and I had endured an unusually chal-lenging winter, I thought of the Big Island as a respite, a cure for what ails us.

From the moment we flew over from Maui, we could tell this island was different. Sprawling Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano and

her lush green flanks, gave way to the dry, near-barren leeward side as we dipped down into Kona. Centuries of lava flows have hardened into fields of chocolate-brown and ash-black rock, swirled and cracked and starkly beautiful. The road up the coast to our ho-tel on Hapuna Beach cut through miles of these old

lava fields, tufted with shrubs trying to take root.After driving north about 30 minutes, we turned away from the barren lava

flows into the luxurious and garden-wrapped Hapuna Beach Prince Resort. The Prince hugs an intimate turquoise cove of bright sand and calm waves. Soothing breezes, birdsong and traditional Hawaiian music enwrapped us wherever we wandered on the resort. Every room enjoys an ocean view, service was beyond friendly, food was tropically-inspired, and our mid-May stay felt uncrowded, unhurried.

Between lounging on the pristine beach and snorkeling nearby, we quickly relaxed into a Hawaiian state of mind and body. But we came to the Big Island for more than relaxation. We needed to see that huge volcano. Knowing that a trip from Hapuna Beach down to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was a three hour drive, we stopped along the way at Honaunau Bay, a prime snorkel-ing spot with an expansive reef. We snorkeled our way among the contours of the reef and its colorful population of fish until we came upon a lazy manta ray vacuuming a path along the bottom. Fifteen minutes later we pulled ourselves away from watching the manta and ended up hovering near a small family of green sea turtles, or honu, before we ended the day’s snorkeling.

We timed our drive for a late-afternoon arrival at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and headed to the Jagger Museum, 4,000 feet up the side of Mauna Loa. The Jagger Museum features scientific and historic exhibits for all ages and is the staging area for observing the volcano’s activity at night. From dusk until the full dark of evening, light emanated from deep inside the crater, changing from a soft glow at first to a deep, bright orange that reflected up onto the evening fog. We drove back into the night thankful to Mauna Loa for sharing her dramatic brilliance with us.

The other activity we were eager to try for the first time was zip lining, an adventure where you fly along metal “ropes” in a zigzag over rainforest and waterfalls. We chose a nine-line adventure over the Umauma River and Falls. Helmeted and harnessed at the top of the first tower, that first step is a bit daunting…until you take it. Then all we felt was the brush of the wind on our skin, hearing the roar of the falls below as we cut between mango trees, over cow pastures and guava orchards, and over waterfalls and lava tubes. We screamed all the way down to the first landing where some magical mechanism slowed our speed easily, and we were caught in the capable hands of our guides who unhooked us and cheered us on. At the end of each individual zip line, as we waited for our fellow zippers to have their ride, we enjoyed stunning views of the falls from decks set upon cliffs along the river chasm.

In just under two hours the Big Island showed us some of the secrets she only used to reveal to intrepid hikers. But zip lining let us “soft adventurers” in on those secrets too. Mahalo, Hawaii; we will be back.

Lisa Kallen is a Travel Consultant with Alamo World Travel, specializing in tours, cruises, and customized vacations to Europe, the Americas, South Pacific, and Asia. Visiting family in La Bella Italia is a favorite vacation along with “soft adventures” just about anywhere in the world. You can reach her at 925-837-874x18 or [email protected]. Advertorial

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Quick Trips By Linda Summers PirkleYountville

Whether traveling abroad or locally, if a walking tour is offered, I usually sign up. The passion of a successful guide is contagious; it’s fun to uncover little known facts about the location, and I enjoy meeting the other participants in the group. On a recent trip to Paris I scheduled nine walk-ing tours within a period of ten days. It was a working trip and I was critiquing different companies; each trek was unique because of the perspectives of the guides, even the two that covered the same arrondissement.

Closer to home, I was excited to hear that a docent led tour has recently (as of May, 2015) been added to the Art Walk -- one of the many activities in the beautiful town of Yountville. Located in the Napa Valley, Yountville is a destination for locals and visitors from all over the world. Nestled between the mountain ranges Mayacamos and Vaca, and surrounded by beautiful vineyards, this little town is a foodie’s paradise. Besides great restaurants and cute shops, downtown Yountville is home to some fun and engaging outdoor sculptures all located on a mile and half section of Washing-ton St., the town’s main street. The new Art Walk tour meanders through Yountville while a docent shares interesting facts and backgrounds on the artists and sculptures.

I spoke to Kimberly Cook, Chair of the Yountville Art Commission and man-ager of the Art Walk, who gave me information on its history. “The Art Walk was started in 2009 by four enthusiastic volunteers interested in adding something new to Yountville besides the food and wine that we are so famous for. We started with only two artists, Gordon Huether and Jack Chandler, both generously loan-ing us four pieces each. From these humble beginnings we have grown to over 24 sculptures by 20+ artists. We are thrilled to add another dimension to the Art Walk with our volunteer docent who is passionate about the project.” The unique sculptures are changed out after about two years and are all available for purchase.

The Veterans Home of Yountville is a ten minute walk from downtown Yount-ville. Established by veterans in 1884, the Veterans Home has been operated by the State of California since 1900. The red tiled roofed dormitories are home to just under 1,000 veterans. I spoke to Craig Stratton, Admissions Counselor with the Veterans Home, “I love it here! It’s not Utopia, but it is a very special community. The public is always welcome. Check in at the Welcome Center located near the entrance, pick up a map, and explore the grounds on your own.”

Throughout the summer the Avenue of the Flags, located at the top of the tree lined entrance to the Vets Home, is a beautiful sight. The red white and blues are rotated with state flags in a dramatic display. The flags fly from Memorial Day to Labor Day and then again for one special day, Veterans Day, November 11.

The Napa Valley Museum, located at 55 Presidents Circle, on the grounds of the Veterans Home, will be one of three stops in the United States for the exhibit “do it.” Curated by Hans Ulrich Orbrist, do it is a conceptual, interactive exhibi-tion built upon enacting artist’s written and drawn instructions. Some of the artists include Yoko Ono, Louise Bourgeois, and Sol LeWitt. do it will be on display from June 20-August 30. The Napa Valley Museum is open Wednesday-Sunday 11AM-4PM. Their website is www.NapaValleyMuseum.org.

*The new docent led Art Walk tour in downtown Yountville is offered the sec-ond and fourth Saturday of the month at 10AM, May through October. Reservations are required; call 707-944-8712 for more information. Check out their website at www.townofyountville.com/artour.

Linda Summers Pirkle has arranged and led tours for the Town of Danville for several years. Inspired by the many wonderful places to visit in the Bay Area, she organizes day trips, either for groups or for friends and family. To share your “Quick Trips” ideas, email [email protected].

California Avenue, also known as the Avenue of Flags, on the grounds of the Veterans Home of California in Yountville. This display of flags only occurs during the summer months(May to September) and then on one additional day, Veterans Day, November 11.

Summer RedsBy Monica Chappell

When we talk about white wines for summers, we implicitly understand the reference. Summer whites are bright, light, thirst quenching wines that are eminently drinkable. Sancerre, Riesling, and Pinot Grigio immediately come to mind.

Summer reds are more difficult to define. We know we are not breaking out a pensive vintage Bordeaux for the family barbeque or uncorking a

luscious California Cabernet Sauvignon with a bowl of chilled asparagus soup, but is it possible to reduce the entire universe of reds to a simple rule of thumb for the summer months?Warm Climate

• One helpful idea is to think about the climate of the wine’s region of origin. Warm climate reds tend to be juicy with plenty of body and just enough acidity to be mouth-watering. Think Nero d’Avola from Sicily, Malbec from Mendoza, or Grenache from the southern Rhone Valley. These intensely flavorful wines will maintain their structure in the face of bold, smoky, spicy summer fare. Cool Climate

• On the other end of the spectrum are the cool climate reds, what we call bistro wines, since they show so well served lightly chilled by the carafe. At their best, cool climate reds are youthful and delicious, tasting of fresh berries often with floral or mineral notes. They won’t overwhelm a fresh salad niçoise, spring pea soup or chicken paillard. Some very fine examples can be found in the Loire Valley, notably the Cabernet Franc from Chinon. Other sources worth seeking out are Pinot Noirs from Alsace.

What are you pairing your red wine with this summer? Let us know at [email protected].

Monica Chappell teaches wine appreciation classes in Lafayette. For a class schedule visit www.wineappreciation101.blogspot.com.


Life in the Danville Garden Outdoor KitchensBy John Montgomery, ASLA, Landscape Architect #4059

We are gearing up for what is looking to be a wonderful Danville summer. July 4th is the pinnacle of outdoor entertaining and family BBQ’s. So much of out-door entertaining is built around cooking and eating that it has become a regular request by my clients to design outdoor kitchens into the hardscape. Our magnificent

Danville weather allows us to use the outdoors as an addition to our home. So, why not have an outdoor kitchen?

An outdoor kitchen doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive, but it also can be! Outdoor kitchens range from the simple BBQ grill to a fully equipped kitchen. They are designed based on the way you entertain and cook. Starting with a simple approach, there is a huge market choice of portable or prefabricated BBQ equipment. Many portables are high-quality stainless steel products made by top brand names like Weber, Viking, DCS, and Wolf. Of course, there is still room for you die-hard Weber kettle fans!

I have designed many outdoor kitchens for clients ranging from professional chefs to the guy who grills hamburgers and hot dogs. Like most kitchens in your home, the outdoor kitchen is the heart of your outdoor environment. As you think about what you want in an outdoor kitchen, many key elements must be considered: location, frequency of use, equipment, size and space, and integra-tion into the hardscape and landscape. Location is instrumental to how much you use your outdoor kitchen. For instance, many clients like to grill year-round, so the outdoor kitchen must be conveniently located and accessible to your indoor kitchen keeping in mind food prep, storage, and dinning.

Choosing equipment is very important. Depending on your desired level of expertise, the market offers numerous choices and price points. First, consider the grill, the center piece to your outdoor kitchen. There are too many choices to mention in this article. Briefly, grills range from 18” to 60”, use charcoal, natural gas, or propane, and range from $1,000 to $13,000. The low-end uses charcoal and the high-end grill made by Kalamazoo is a hybrid that uses gas, charcoal, or wood depending on your grilling needs. Next, a side burner for boiling water, sautéing, and steaming is a good choice so you can cook your entire meal outdoors. Other cooking equipment includes lobster pots, wok burners, and countertop pizza ovens. Full-size pizza ovens are also a great addition. To keep things on the cool side, outdoor refrigerators of various configurations are available: wine fridges, keg-a-rators, ice makers, and now freezers. Storage is also an important aspect to the design of your outdoor kitchen. Again, all sorts of storage is available: stainless cupboards, drawer units, warming drawers, and complete cabinet units. Countertop space and materials are also an important consideration. A raised bar with stools, sink with hot and cold running water, and electrical outlets are considerations.

The size and space of your outdoor kitchen depends on frequency and level of entertaining. Your love of cooking and entertaining will determine the size and space you need. One of my clients, a professional chef, prefers to use his outdoor kitchen over his indoor one. Designing the location so that the kitchen is located in the heart of the hardscape is most important. It is a social place connected to the dining area, patio, pool, and garden. Outdoor kitchens can be enclosed in a cabana or under an open trellis. Other essentials to consider are wood burning pizza ovens, fireplaces, fire pits, and living room. What you can imagine can be designed and built!

A hot tip from your local Landscape Architect: Adding an outdoor kitchen to your new or existing hardscape requires creativity, design, planning, and budget experience.

Gardening Quote of the Month: Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity - Voltaire

If you would like me to write on any particular subject email your ideas to [email protected] or visit www.jm-la.com. Advertorial

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Clip Notes By Jody MorganFire was the most formidable agricultural tool of

Native Americans who managed oak groves through-out the Western woodlands. Although their diet in-cluded products from 150-200 different plants, acorns often accounted for 50% of their caloric intake during the fall and winter. Eaten directly from the tree, most varieties contain tannins toxic to humans. Processed properly they provide gluten-free, flavorful flour.

Archeological sites in California have yielded the remains of more acorns than any other edible

food. For at least 9,000 years before Europeans arrived, Native Americans harvested and stored the nuts of some 30 different oak species. Endemic to California, the fast-growing Valley Oak (Quercus lobata) can live as long as 600 years. Also known as California White Oak, a mature specimen can yield 2,000 pounds of acorns in a good year. A typical family found 500 pounds adequate for their annual needs.

By using controlled fires to keep oaks spaced so they could form a giant canopy, native arborists also encouraged the emergence of plant species that required fire to trigger germination. These in turn produced edible seeds, leaves, roots, and tubers. Fire cleared the ground from undesirable growth, simplifying the collection of acorns. It added nutrients to the soil and con-trolled insect and fungal pests that attacked the trees. Intense wildfires rag-ing through flammable undergrowth would damage the valuable oaks, but light surface fires that removed those understory plants actually stimulated sprouting from the crown. Those new shoots were excellent for basketry, stirring sticks, construction materials, and even clothing.

Each ethnic group had its own traditional means of “making acorn.” The use of long poles to knock acorns from the branches beginning a month before they fully ripened was a popular harvest strategy. Climbing up to clip acorn-laden branches efficiently brought down nuts and generated new growth. A portion of the mast, as the crop of an oak is called, was always left to nourish the wildlife equally dependent on the oaks’ bounty.

Processing acorns took time and patience. Once shelled, the acorns were pounded on a pounding rock, sifted in a basket, and leached by washing with successive applications of clean water in a sand basin to remove the tannins. When the bath of water ceased to be black and turned sweet and clear, the acorn meat was ready to be dried. In some cases, whole acorns were buried in a sandy leaching pit with grasses, charcoal, and ashes and rinsed repeat-edly with fresh water to remove the tannins. Sometimes whole nuts were buried in a streambed for up to a year, allowing the natural flow of running water to do the work.

If the resulting meal was boiled for mush or used in soup, any residual sand would sink to the bottom of the cooking vessel. A flatbread was also baked from the flour. Valley Oak acorns are extremely nutritious and have a high fat content important in a diet otherwise lacking in oils.

On May 6, 1862, William Henry Brewer, the first botanist known to have collected specimens on Mount Diablo, wrote (in his journal later published as Up and Down California 1860-1864): “The plain is covered for miles with intervals of scattered oaks; not a forest, but scattered trees of the California white oak (Quercus hindsii) [now Qiuercus lobata], the most magnificent of trees, often four to five feet in diameter, branching low. They are worth-less for timber, but grand, yes, magnificent, as ornamental trees, their great spreading branches often forming a head a hundred feet in diameter.”

Drought was not an issue when Brewer first came to the San Ramon Valley in September 1861. He and his party camped beside a brook on Major Rus-sell’s Forest Home Farms. “The brook had ‘broken out’ after the earthquake in June last – it is good water, and Russell says it is worth $5,000 to his farm. The ground had cracked quite extensively near our camp, and a number of good springs had broken out in the valley at that time.”

Valley Oaks are adapted to thriving through hot dry summers and cool wet winters. They put down deep taproots to reach the water table, so they can survive several years of drought. Young trees need water to become estab-lished and can grow as ornamental specimens in a lawn if that’s their original location. Older trees die if a lawn is planted around their base. When the water table is lowered below 70 feet or so, mature trees are unable to adjust.

The Art of Screening By Blaine Brende & Joe Lamb

Trees and shrubs provide many valuable services in the urban eco-system. One of the most important, from the perspective of homeowners, is screening for privacy and to hide

undesired objects. Well-placed foliage can keep out prying eyes and enhance personal safety, and a view of beautiful leaves and branches gives more pleasure than the view of a neighbor’s garage. Over the long run, preserving a living screen requires planning and judicious pruning.

Plants grow toward the sun; they maximize foliage where there is most light. As trees mature, the density of the canopy can act as an umbrella and shade out the interior lower branches, which causes them to die. To see a clear example of this, look at a mature oak in the forest.The majority of foliage is in the outer shell; the interior is bare. This natural phenomenon works well for plants in the wild, but it may not succeed well for your screening needs. Luckily, there are ways to avoid this loss of valuable screening.

All strategies for maintaining screen involve keeping sunlight flow-ing to interior branches. Sufficient light on the leaves reduces dieback. It is best to act before the screen is compromised (an ounce of pruning is better than a ton of replanting). In plants with latent buds, English laurels for example, trunks can re-sprout even after interior branches have withered. However, many species lack latent buds and are incapable of re-sprouting, and for those species preventative medicine is the only medicine. Even for species with latent buds, keeping branches healthy is much easier, and more effective, than reinvigorating them.

• Eliminate light competition from surrounding plants. Evaluate the plants growing near your screen plants to see if they are casting a shadow on branches critical to screening. Plants shading out important screen plants can be removed, or they can be thinned and shaped to increase

illumination of screening branches.• Thin the screen plants themselves. This may seem counter intui-

tive, but the exterior of the screen plant may be shading its interior. It is not uncommon to see 40-foot pittosporums that look like balloons, with the only green occurring in the canopy. To revitalize, it is gener-ally best to remove all dead wood, thin the top heavily, and even thin the screen area. The goal is to maintain layers of green from the edge of the canopy through the interior. A thick, multi-layered screen is less prone to failure. If it is not acceptable to lose any bottom screen, even temporarily, a good compromise is to thin those portions above the screen area. Thinning only one portion of the tree is an aesthetic chal-lenge, but it can be done.

• Shape the tops of screen plants. It is sometimes possible to shape back the tops of screen plants to allow more light to reach the lower branches. Our philosophy of pruning requires that the overall beauty of the plants be considered in all pruning cuts. Because health and beauty are often synonymous, we have found that bringing light into the interior usually enhances tree aesthetics.

What do you do if you have already lost the screen? It is difficult to get branches to grow back once they have died, but radically thinning or lowering the plant may induce growth in lower foliage. Unfortunately, this is hard to achieve without sacrificing the aesthetics of your trees and shrubs. Sometimes it is possible to fill the gap with shade-loving plants. Other times the only solution might be to remove the plant and start over. Each case is different.

If you need help, do not hesitate to give us a call, for advice or to do the work. At Brende and Lamb, we have 20 years of experience balancing the aesthetics of your trees and shrubs and maintaining your screening needs. If your trees need a little TLC, please call 510-486-TREE (8733) or email us at [email protected] for a free estimate. Additionally, go to our website www.brendelamb.com to see before and after pictures, client testimonials, and work in your neighborhood. Advertorial

[email protected] Danville Today News ~ June 2015 - Regeneration continued from front page


Energy MattersThe Inevitable PartnershipBy Mark Becker, GoSimple Solar

Since 2005, there has been a 97% increase in American solar PV installations. Over 600,000 homes and tens of thousands of businesses have “gone solar.” The data shows that millions of tons of CO2 that would have been discharged into the environment from coal and natural gas power plants was negated by clean energy generation. The environmental benefits solar brings to the planet and its inhabitants are typically the “icing on the

cake” to the financial advantages that solar brings to home and business owners.The rapid and widespread deployment of solar has mostly been driven by the

Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for clean energy technologies, which ends on December 31, 2016. A $30,000 solar project will have an after tax net cost to the cus-tomer of $21,000 and will typically payback in 5-6 years. Unlike other improvements, solar is also the only business or home improvement project that actually returns monies to the customer. A typical return on investment is >11%. Solar, done right, is a very safe investment. Long term, like the stock market, utility rates historically climb. Short term, unlike the stock market, utility rates never “correct” and decline.

A safe and simple solar finance strategy: Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) finance programs allow home and business owners to wrap the costs of their energy efficiency projects into their annual taxes. Five, ten, or twenty-year loan periods can be selected. No credit checks are required; three years of timely property tax payments qualify the home or business owner for this program.

FYI: An existing roof warranty becomes void during a solar project unless the installer is a licensed roofer or has a special certification from the roofing product manu-facturer. The best installers warrant their roof work against leaks for the life of the solar system. Damage due to water intrusion is the number one home insurance claim.

Before you enter into a solar contract, get the following in writing: 1) A warrant against roof leaks surrounding the solar PV for the life of the system; 2) If a non-licensed roofer is performing the work, get a certification from the roofing manufacturer that the roof warranty will remain intact; 3) Confirm that general liability and workman’s compensation insurance is held by the contractor so claims can be paid by the contractor.

The seemingly unstoppable increase in renewable energy electric genera-tion has forced many utilities to embrace clean energy in policy and practice. Clean energy technology needs the utility grid for distribution of power. An inevitable partnership is reluctantly building due to a mutual reliance on each other’s services.

Come see true energy independence in action: Our showroom in Danville has solar PV coupled with battery storage, which allows off grid operation. The project qualified for the 30% Federal tax credit, and the battery bank qualified for an additional $7,000 incentive.

Memorial Day, redux: Last month I dedicated some space in this forum to fellow Marines with whom I served who died during training accidents or combat missions. After the tragic series of earthquakes in Nepal, we were recently reminded that our service members also die while serving others during humanitarian mis-sions. These ambassadors of goodwill are the finest our nation has to offer.

A wonderful yet under-utilized resource for home or business owners is the California Contractors State License Board website, www.cslb.ca.gov. The “Winter 2014-2015 Newsletter” documents deceptive practices of the solar industry. Lack-ing a mandate on how to model solar financials, contractor overstatement of solar energy production results in misrepresentation of savings and payback. It was also found that contractors do not communicate the onerous legalities associated with “power purchase” or “lease” solar agreements.

Before you enter into a solar contract: 1) Ensure you know the exact layout and design of the panel array; 2) Ensure all conduits are hidden; 3) Ensure all broken roof tiles will be replaced, not “repaired” with caulk; 4) Ensure you know your responsibilities in a home sale if it’s a PPA or a lease; 5) The factors which drive solar investment returns must be accurately input into the financial pro-forma: Current utility rate and cost, the discount rate of money used, utility escalation rate, accurate production data via a nationally recognized calculator including site shading percentages orientation and tilt, panel and inverter product. Solar, done right, can be an aesthetically pleasing and a safe investment.

If you would like GoSimpleSolar to demonstrate how a solar PV system can save you money for your home or business, please visit our showroom at 115 West Linda Mesa Avenue, Danville, or submit a quote request via www.GoSimpleSolar.com/getquote. Ask about our veteran’s and public service discounts.

Mark Becker is the President and business owner of GoSimpleSolar, by Semper Fidelis Construction Inc, CSLB 948715. GoSimpleSolar is one of the very few (and proud) solar PV installers utilizing both licensed roofers and licensed electricians for installation work, project managed by a solar PV NABCEP professional. For ques-tions or comments email [email protected] or call 925-331-8011. Advertorial

occurrence of a population. The size and shape of a given quadrat is scaled to the ecosystem being studied. Using 50 plots representative of the variety of vegetation communities found within the burn area - chaparral, deciduous oak, live oak, grassland, serpentine chaparral and grassland chaparral - Heath and his research partner Brian Peterson have collected 2,500 “quads” of data on the intricate relationships among species co-existing and thriving or marginally surviving in the aftermath of fire.

Most colorful and easiest for the casual observer to embrace are plants whose existence depends in some way on fire to trigger germination whether it be intense heat, smoke, or ash. Some simply bask in the sunlight suddenly present when the dense growth of chaparral shrubs or forest trees disappears. Studies show that Whispering Bells require charred remnants of chamise, also known as greasewood, to jumpstart their growth. Many, like the Fire Poppies, are annuals abundant only in the first years following a major fire. Others are perennials, like Kellogg’s snapdragon that was last seen on Mount Diablo 80 years before the Morgan Fire. While several shrub and tree species are genetically programmed to re-sprout from lignotubers or roots, others, including most of the Manzanitas on the mountain, grow only from seed.

Publicity on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to observe the extremely showy fire-following wildflowers has kept phone lines buzzing at Save Mount Diablo as hikers eager to see species absent from the landscape for decades seek information on where to view the cyclical display. Bartosh welcomes the attention this fleeting abundance has generated. Writing follow-up com-ments on BioBlitz 2015 he says, “The phenomenon of fire-followers interests a broad array of folks who wouldn’t normally be on the mountain looking at native plants.” In hopes that their enthusiasm is not as fleeting as the transitory display of certain species he adds, “Believe it or not the peak and immediate foothills of the mountain harbor 10% of the flora of California.”

Cataloguing plants on Mount Diablo began with William Brewer’s expe-ditions in September 1861 and May 1862. Assigned to study Mount Diablo vegetation in 1930 because, as she notes, she had a car, Mary Bowerman carried her relationship with the mountain far beyond her undergraduate UC Berkeley project and the doctoral dissertation she presented in 1936. British botanist Arthur Tansley is credited with introducing the term “ecosystem” in 1935, but Bowerman recognized independently the complex interconnec-tion of the plant communities she observed with the geology, elevation, and exposure of their situation. She was at the forefront of scientific understand-ing of the critical contribution of each inconspicuous insect and ephemeral flower to the long-term health of the entire interdependent chain of habitats.

Bowerman realized the parcel of land conserved within Mount Diablo State Park was woefully inadequate to protect the biodiversity of this extraor-dinary area. When she and Arthur Bonwell founded Save Mount Diablo in 1971, the park encompassed less than 7,000 acres. By partnering with other organizations to purchase properties ahead of development and transfer their management once secured, SMD has increased the amount of open land

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One Second AfterBy Evan Corstorphine, Portable CIO

Last month, I discussed the long chain of techno-logical discoveries that have produced amazing devices such as the smartphone; we also took a little peek into the future. This month we’re going to go in a different direction. Imagine for a moment that all of your technol-ogy was taken away, and we had to create everything all over again. Basically, imagine that we had no electricity.

There is a book I recommend called One Second After, which is written from the perspective of what

would occur to civil society in the event of a nationwide electro-magnetic-pulse (EMP) event. It is a sobering but gripping book, which chronicles in detail the struggles our society would face if this happened.

EMP’s occur naturally as a result of massive solar storms, or they can be man-made, specifically as a result of high-altitude nuclear detonations. Ei-ther way they occur they have devastating power, and our society is not well prepared. Solar storms happen all the time, but usually they’re not powerful enough to significantly disturb our planet’s magnetosphere. Sometimes they are, however, and in the last 160 years there have been three direct hits on Earth in particular worth noting. One was in 1859 and is called the “Carrington event.” Another was in 1921, and another in 1989 caused the great Quebec blackout. The Carrington event was so significant that the energy influx from the sun caused telegraph wires to spark and catch on fire across the US and Europe, and the Northern lights were visible as far south as Tahiti. Remember, in 1859 we were still a candle-lamp society, and transportation was via horse and buggy or steam locomotive. While a burning telegraph wire would be startling, it caused little damage because of how little electricity was in use.

The Quebec event was much smaller than in 1859, but it was still significant enough to destroy electrical transformers, melt wires together, and cause wide-spread power outages for most of a day across the region, leaving six million people in the dark for over nine hours. The event in 1921 was ten times stronger than in 1989, and it is estimated that if it happened today, it would affect over 130 million people. Because of the distance between Earth and the Sun and how

long the solar wind takes to reach Earth, we would have up to three days warn-ing if NASA alerted the public immediately that an event like this had occurred. That would be enough time to make some preparations, but not nearly enough.

According to NASA, a Carrington-class event would cause extensive social and economic disruptions. Power outages would be accompanied by radio blackouts and satellite malfunctions. GPS, banking, finance, and transporta-tion would all be affected. Some problems would correct themselves with the fading of the storm, but the physical damage would exceed $2 trillion, and that doesn’t factor the human costs.

NASA has deployed an early warning system, called the Solar Dynamics Observatory. In 2012 the observatory captured a solar storm as large as the 1859 Carrington event as it occurred. Luckily it missed Earth’s orbit by a week, so you probably didn’t read about it.

Depending on the year, your modern home was built to withstand a signifi-cant earthquake. Conversely, none of the electronics in your car, your house, your body (pacemaker), your watch, or your phone were built to withstand any type of magnetic pulse, and neither was our nation’s power infrastructure. The point is, this is not a theoretical problem; this is something that has happened before and will happen again. Because of our dependence on electronics, from our cars, to our banks, to our electrical grid, the event would significantly affect civil society. We would instantly be transported back a hundred years to when electricity had been invented, when there was little infrastructure and few if any modern conveniences. This means your power goes out, your car won’t start, your cell phone is dead, your radio won’t work, and your refrigerator stops. It means everything changes instantly, and it takes a long time to get back to anything that can be considered “normal.” This is the stuff that keeps FEMA awake at night.

How could you better protect yourself from this sort of event? There are a plethora of resources written on the subject and several websites explaining steps you can take. Depending on the response I receive from this article, next month I will explore the steps you may take to better prepare yourself.

Disaster Preparedness Planning is one of the services that Portable CIO offers, and if you would like to consider some of these questions in a business context for your organization, small or large, Portable CIO can help. Reach us via email, [email protected], or call (925)552-7953. Advertorial


income in 2034 to match the buying power of $50,000 today. The best way to fight inflation is to have the potential to earn investment

returns that will keep you ahead of the erosion in your purchasing power of inflation. The problem is there’s no guarantee about the future returns of any variable investment. A Better Way?

Instead of moving your entire portfolio out of stocks when you retire, you might consider other strategies. You could maintain your current portfolio mix until you retire. Then, gradually sell some of your stocks each year.

This strategy would slowly reduce your exposure to the risk of owning stocks and also generate income to supplement any cash dividends and interest income you receive. You’d spread out your capital gains taxes and be able to keep a large part of your portfolio invested in stocks for a considerable number of years. Another strategy would be to simply reduce the portion of your portfolio that is invested in stocks as retirement approaches. For example, if 75% of your portfolio is in stocks before retirement, you might lower that percentage to 30% or another percentage that you’re comfortable with. That way, you’d still retain some opportunity to gain from any future stock market advances, but you’d also reduce your portfolio’s overall risk and volatility.

When you say goodbye to your job, sticking with stocks may be a better strategy for a potentially very long retirement than moving to an all-income portfolio. If you want to know more about investment strategies during re-tirement, consult with your financial planner.

Please contact Chris McClure to schedule a complimentary review of your financial situation. Call (925)659-0213 or email [email protected].

Christopher T. McClure is a registered representative and investment advisor represen-tative of Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp., a broker dealer (member SIPC) and registered investment advisor, 3000 Executive Parkway, Suite 400, San Ramon, CA, offering insurance through Lincoln Marketing and Insurance Agency, LLC and Lincoln Associates Insurance Agency, Inc. and other fine companies. This information should not be construed as legal or tax advice. You may want to consult a tax advisor regarding this information as it relates to your personal circumstances. The content of this material was provided to you by Lincoln Financial Advisors for its representatives and their clients. Advertorial

Do Retirees Need a New Investment Strategy?By Christopher T. McClure

In conjunction with Lincoln Financial Advisors or Sagemark Consulting, a division of Lincoln Financial Advisors Corporation, a registered investment advisor CRN201011-2047640

First growth, then income. If you’re like most investors, you want to achieve growth while you’re working and income after you retire. But that doesn’t necessarily make it smart to change your investment

strategy when you retire by shifting your portfolio completely out of stocks into less volatile “income” investments like bonds and cash equivalents.The Tax Bite

As a rule, stocks are more risky and volatile than other types of invest-ments. Therefore, you might decide, as some retirees do, to sell your stocks and reinvest in less risky securities in order to protect the gains you’ve achieved. But, unless the stocks you sell are in an individual retirement ac-count or other tax-deferred retirement account, that move won’t preserve all of your accumulated gains. When you sell your stock, you’ll lose part of those gains to capital gains tax. The Inflation Bug

You may also create another, potentially more serious, risk. Without stocks in your portfolio, you increase the risk that future inflation will erode the real value of your investments and reduce your spending power.

Let’s look at some numbers. Social Security’s normal retirement age is gradually increasing. For someone born between 1943 and 1954, it’s 66. If you retired today at age 66, your additional life expectancy would be 20.2 years according to IRS tables. No one knows what the rate of inflation will be in the future. But, over the past 20 years, (1994-2014) the Consumer Price Index (commonly used to measure inflation) has, on average, risen about 2.5% a year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. If inflation continues at the same average rate for the next 20 years, you’d need over $85,000 of


Volunteers continued from front page

Inheritance Jackpot: Will the Kids be Happy?By Robert J. Silverman, Esq.

In our area, many people have sizable estates. Con-sequently, when they die and their children (or other loved ones) receive an inheritance, it can be analogous to hitting the jackpot.

A primary goal of most clients - aside from impor-tant objectives, such as avoiding unnecessary taxes and estate administration costs - is to help make their

children comfortable. Many say: “I just want my kids to be happy.” This begs the question, “Will the receipt of a substantial inheritance make the children happy?” The answer is “of course,” right?

Interestingly, when looking at lottery winners, the happiness answer is not so clear. In a Wall St. Journal article from several years ago, the author wrote about “America’s Dangerous Powerball Economy.” He cited a famous 1978 study that found that after an initial “happiness boost” right after winning the lottery, within a few months the winners’ happiness had receded to a pre-lottery winning level. As more time passed, the winners were actually less happy than they had been before winning.

The author rightfully points out that it would be misguided to conclude that money makes us unhappy. Rather, he refers to voluminous research demonstrating that money, when earned, is typically associated positively with happiness; but, conversely, when it is unearned and raw purchasing power is untethered from hard work and merit, people are much less likely to be happy and feel successful.

These findings and principles are consistent with anecdotal evidence and my 22 years of experience helping people plan and administer their estates. During the estate planning process, it can help to ask clients about the legacy they wish to leave. A fascinating question is, “How much is too much to leave your children (or other loved ones)?” For some, the answer is $1 million, and for others, it might be significantly more or less. Still others answer that no amount is too much to leave their children.

Might you feel better and your kids be just as happy if you leave them a bit less and give some portion to one or more worthwhile charitable organizations? Incidentally, there are a number of compelling types of irrevocable charitable trusts that have tax and non-tax advantages, known as “split interest” trusts. In such trusts,

the interest (i.e. assets) being gifted is split between charitable and non-charitable beneficiaries (e.g. the children), with each receiving a portion at different times.

A crucial related question is, “When is the right time for your children to receive their inheritance outright, with no strings attached?” For clients who have minor or young adult children, I often include a living trust provision that: a) if a child has not reached a certain age when his or her parent (or last parent) dies, the trustee is to dole out trust funds for the child’s needs (e.g. “health, education, maintenance, and support”); and b) principal distributions beyond those needs are withheld until the child reaches a particular age, or a percentage at each of several ages. A parent’s decision about the right distri-bution age(s) may be based on any number of factors, such as when the child will likely handle a substantial distribution responsibly.

Some people choose instead to create a lifetime trust for each child, in which varying standards of distribution may be established, without any mandated age for outright distribution. Besides potentially serving as a “happiness” tool for the children, this option can create helpful creditor protection. This protection can include shield-ing assets for any married child (or child who later marries) who might otherwise commingle the inheritance with his/her spouse and then later get divorced.

In any event, once a child develops a solid work ethic and starts to experi-ence successes based on the fruits of his or her own labor, the receipt of an inheritance is less likely to create problems. But choosing the right distribution age(s) in your living trust is often difficult and is a moving target. Your children change as do your assets and perhaps also your objectives. So, it’s important to have your estate plan reviewed regularly by an experienced estate planning attorney. This helps ensure that your trust distribution provisions (among other trust provisions and other estate planning documents) comport with your wishes and the law, as each evolve. It also just might help your loved ones avoid the inheritance “Powerball trap.”

Upon request, I’ll be happy to provide you, on a complimentary basis, any or all of the following: i) an “Estate Planning Primer”; ii) a brochure on alterna-tive methods of holding title to property; iii) an introductory meeting.

Mr. Silverman is an attorney with R. Silverman Law Group, 1855 Olympic Blvd., Suite 125, Walnut Creek, CA 94596; (925) 705-4474; [email protected].

This article is intended to provide information of a general nature, and should not be relied upon as legal, tax and/ or business advice. Readers should obtain specific advice from their own, qualified professional advisors. Advertorial

over that number. Jobs include fingerprinting at the station, riding the squad car doing home checks, doing “hot spot” checks, and assisting with special events such as Hot August Nights as well as other duties.

The Saturday morning Farmers Market, located in Lunardi’s parking lot, is bustling with vendors selling fresh produce, cut flowers, brilliant orchids, and lo-cal brewed coffee. It is the spot to meet old friends or make new ones. On certain Saturdays, the Market is where the public can meet with police volunteers, ask questions informally, and provide feedback on services. Recently it was brought to the attention of the Farmers Market volunteer squad that some handicapped parking places were unavailable on Saturday mornings. The volunteers took im-mediate action, brought the issue to the attention to the police department, and the following week made sure additional handicapped parking was in service.

Volunteer Harry Hubinger, retired venture capitalist and author, has been with the department for quite a few years. “After 14 years on the job and averaging over 700 volunteer hours a year,” says Harry of his tenure at the police depart-ment, “My wife, Barb and I have had our share of unusual and often humorous stories.” One of their duties he explained is to check homes while people are on vacation. A call or email to the police department giving departure and return dates, plus some additional information, sets the house check procedure in action.

“I arrived at this one location,” recalls Harry on one particular house check duty, “and noted the drapes were drawn and the house appeared normal. I wanted to make sure the owner had locked all the doors before leaving, so I wandered up and tried the front door. To my surprise it sprung open and there were two people loading things into a suitcase. I was out of there like a shot—keying my radio to get a real police officer here, not an ersatz volunteer. I was maybe twenty feet down the drive when a man rushed out yelling “I’m the owner- it’s ok!” Turns out he and his wife had a plane cancellation and were leaving a day or two later than planned, and they had not told the police department about the change.”

“By the way,” Harry mentioned, “the guy with the plane change was a sher-iff’s deputy in Contra Costa County. He jokingly complimented the Danville Police Department for its efficiency.”

The selection process to become a VIP (Volunteer in Policing) includes a panel interview, Citizen’s Academy, and a background check. According to

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Sergeant Jose Rivera, “Once volunteers are approved and have completed their training, the Department provides them with a uniform. We meet with the volunteers every other month for additional training which can be on any police related topic including traffic control, citizen contacts, officer safety issues, and other community related topics.”

Many volunteers remain with the VIP program for years. Police Chief Simpkins says, “I think our volunteers serve so long for several reasons: the volunteers become part of the Danville Police Department family and are well respected, and the work itself is different, fun and exciting. There is a great sense of pride that comes with serving the community as a part of the public safety team, the same pride sworn officers have.”

The Danville Police Department Volunteer unit is on duty every second Saturday of the month at the Danville Farmers Market located at the corner of Prospect and Railroad Avenue. Hours are 9AM-1PM. For more information about the VIPs, contact Sergeant Jose Rivera at [email protected].

[email protected] Danville Today News ~ June 2015 - Preventing Back Injuries for

NursesBy Melissa Ko, DC, Sycamore Valley Chiropractic

Nurses and other healthcare workers work long and physically demanding hours. Their hands-on duties in-clude some potentially risky maneuvers of lifting patients from beds and chairs, supporting them while they walk and repositioning patients. Though there are firm safety protocols and practices in place designed to lower the healthcare worker’s risk, in reality there are still many

opportunities for injury. A recent investigative report by National Public Radio (NPR) describes why nurses continue to be at high risk despite safety training.

The report discusses a recent study by researcher, William Marras of the Spine Research Institute and his colleagues. They concluded that performing some of the lifts and maneuvers in the day-to-day work of a nurse is simply too much for normal human strength, even those properly trained to have optimal posture and mechanics. Marras noted, “The magnitude of these forces that are on your spine are so large that the best ‘body mechanics’ in the world are not going to keep you from getting a back problem.”

Common injuries that nurses experience are pulled muscles and ligaments, tendonitis, disc herniations, sciatica, joint pain, and arthritis. Even for an experi-enced nurse, moving and lifting patients can be still be dangerous for these reasons:

• Lifting is easiest and safest the closer a load is to the body. Nurses typically have to reach out over a bed to lift which creates greater load on the spine.

• Lifting is typically done in a bent position, placing additional pressure and force on the vertebral discs.

• Over time, these constant loads cause micro-injuries to the disc which leads to spinal degeneration. This process can take months or even years to show up and cause major problems as a hidden injury.

• Even when a nurse receives assistance from another staff member, some heavier loads may require a team of four or more to safely lift, and even then, if the helpers are of different sizes and strength, there is still risk for injury.

Since this study, agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-

tion (CDC), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Department of Veteran Affairs, and the American Nurses Associa-tion have all emphasized the need of updating safety procedures in using proper equipment such as lift chairs and harnesses for nursing staff.

With funding and training for the use of equipment and lift teams, hospitals and nursing schools can better prepare a nurse to endure the physical stresses of the job. Regardless of the type of training, here are some tips for how to prevent injuries for nurses and healthcare workers:

• Maintain a consistent level of physical activity such that the muscles and spine are conditioned to withstand more strenuous movements.

• Take advantage of breaks to perform frequent stretching to boost circulation and flexibility.

• Maintain a clean, anti-inflammatory diet, avoiding refined sugars and ad-ditives.

• Get 7-8 hours of sleep, especially if you are working on a graveyard or late shift. This helps the body heal from daily strains and recover quicker from injuries.

• Drink lots of water (half your body weight in ounces). Dehydrated muscles lose circulation, are tighter, and are more vulnerable to injury.

• Get regular spinal checkups by a Doctor of Chiropractic to maintain healthy alignment, and treat or prevent some of the injuries to the spine as listed earlier. Regular massage is also great for the muscles and joints.

It’s important to take good care of those who take care of others. If you or someone you know is suffering from the problems we’ve talked about, get checked by a chiropractor and get back on top of your game!

Sycamore Valley Chiropractic is located at 565 Sycamore Valley Rd. West in Danville. Please visit www.sycamorevalleychiropractic.com or call 925-837-5595 for more information or to schedule an appointment. Advertorial

AA members include those from every segment of society. Grandmothers, bosses, public servants, husbands and wives - alcoholism knows no boundaries and has a dramatic impact not only on the drinker, but on family and friends as well. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, nearly 8.5 percent of American adults meet the diagnostic criteria for alcoholism. More than one half of American adults have a close family member who is an alcoholic, and children of alcoholics are significantly more likely to develop alcohol use disorders.

What are the diagnostic criteria for alcoholism? AA asks the following questions:

* Have you ever felt that your life would be better if you did not drink? * Have you ever decided to stop drinking for a week or so, but only

lasted for a couple of days? * Do you wish people would mind their own business about your

drinking-- stop telling you what to do?* Have you ever switched from one kind of drink to another in the hope

that this would keep you from getting drunk?* Has your drinking caused trouble at home?* Do you tell yourself you can stop drinking any time you want to, even

though you keep getting drunk when you don't mean to?* Do you envy people who can drink without getting into trouble?* Do you have “blackouts”?* Have you had problems connected with drinking during the past year?For those who answer “yes” to four or more of these questions, indicating

a likely problem with alcohol, AA is available to help.AA provides a supportive and discreet community and fellowship to aide

efforts in overcoming alcoholism. Members encourage and help each other to stay sober, and help the currently suffering alcoholic to become - and stay - sober. AA members share with each other their experiences within group meetings; they provide person-to-person service or “sponsorship” to

A.A. continued from front page other alcoholics within the twelve-step process of recovery (a set of guiding spiritual principles as accepted by a group’s membership, outlining a course of action for recovery from addiction). There are no dues or fees associated with AA membership. AA is not allied with any sect, denomination, political group, organization or institution. In its efforts to dissuade controversy, AA neither endorses nor opposes any causes.

AA offers several types of meetings for its members, and no matter which type one chooses, a member’s privacy and anonymity is always respected. Closed meetings are for alcoholics only, those who have a drinking problem and have a desire to stop drinking. Open meetings are available to anyone interested in the Alcoholics Anonymous program of recovery; nonalcoholics may attend these open meetings as observers. Big Book meetings are those that use as a point of discussion the book Alcoholics Anonymous published by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services. At these meetings, members often take turns reading from the book in which a passage may inspire a thought related to recovery. Discussion meetings are those in which one member selects a topic and attendees share their own experiences, struggles, and ideally success in dealing with their alcohol problem. Speaker meetings are those in which one or more members are selected beforehand to share their personal experiences. Step meetings involve discussion of one of the Twelve Steps of AA.

Members will often skip from one type of meeting to another, in an effort to find inspiration for overcoming their addiction. AA becomes a lifelong support group for many; alcoholism is not a disease that is ‘cured,’ and a sober lifestyle can be a lifelong struggle. AA provides the support and counsel that allows members to accomplish together what they could not accomplish alone.

Please visit www.contracostaaa.org where a full calendar of meetings locations and times can be found, or call the 24-hour hotline at (925) 939-4155. The Contra Costa County AA service center also provides to its members a monthly newsletter, publications for sale, a newcomer packet, an audio rental library with more than 800 recorded AA speakers, special events and outings, and most importantly, a welcoming and safe place for all alcoholics to seek help and to be with others.

www.yourmonthlypaper.com - June 2015 ~ Danville Today NewsRegeneration continued from page 19

The Eye OpenerBy Gregory Kraskowsky, O.D., Alamo OptometryBlepharitis

For those of you who have been diagnosed with blepharitis, you are aware that it is a chronic condition, and the symptoms and course can vary. Blepharitis symptoms wax and wane, but they never completely go away. However, with proper lid hygiene and treatment, the symptoms can be kept under control.

Blepharitis is an inflammation of the top, bottom, or both of the eyelids. The oil glands that are on the edge of the eyelids become clogged and do not function properly. These glands produce the oily layer of the tears; and when they don’t do their job well, dry eyes and irritated lids develop. The main culprit in blepharitis is a bacterial infection. The normal bacteria that are found all around the eyes and face collects at the base of the lashes at the edge of the eyelids. These flakes accu-mulate at the base of the lashes and can actually be seen by the patient. When this occurs, there are effects on both the eyelids and the eye itself. These flakes on the lashes cause the lids to become red, irritated, itchy, and scaly. The residue from the flakes gets into the eyes which causes them to become red and watery, and to sting and burn. Pain and vision loss do not happen with blepharitis; however, this is one of the main reasons patients develop dry eyes, which can affect vision.

Now that we have an idea of the signs and symptoms of blepharitis, we need to treat it. As stated before, blepharitis cannot be cured, but using a few techniques will limit the occurrence and severity of the flare-ups. The most important thing patients can do is to keep their lids as clean as possible. For women, this includes completely removing all make-up in the evening. Warm compresses with a clean washcloth used in a vertical motion in the morning and evening will help loosen the flakes that accumulate. I then recommend using a bland soap like Dove or Ivory to wash the eyes and face thoroughly. Keep in mind that any washes and soaps that smell fruity or tropical will generally burn and irritate the eyes further. In cases when the irritation and redness is worse, a short course of a topical an-tibiotic/steroid ointment or drops can be used to calm down the inflammation. Lubricating drops are always recommended because they help replenish the lacking tears in the eye and help to flush the irritants that are in the eye. Lastly, it is also important to treat any underlying skin conditions such as rosacea and dermatitis, as these are leading contributors to blepharitis. Any potential causal disorders that are at the root of the blepharitis must be dealt with and treated; if not, the eye and lid symptoms will likely never improve even with doing the recommended treatments.

I see blepharitis in the office all of the time. Patients that have been diagnosed with it are aware of the necessity of lid hygiene. It is generally at times when hygiene becomes lax that a flare-up occurs. Proper diagnosis and treatment are key when keeping blepharitis and its associated burning, irritation, and redness at bay. Blepharitis can be diagnosed during a routine examination, or we are avail-able to schedule office visits to help diagnose and treat any redness, irritation, and infection in an around the eyes.

Dr. K. at Alamo Optometry is your hometown eye doctor for outstanding service, vision care, and designer eyewear. He can be reached at 820-6622 or visit his office at 3201 Danville Blvd., Suite 165 in Alamo. Visit our website at www.alamooptometry.com, and join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @Alamo Optometry. Advertorial

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preserved for wildlife corridors and recreation to 110,000 acres held in more than 40 parks. Their efforts have protected property values and the quality of life in the shadow of the mountain while providing clean air and water for all manner of organisms from people to pollinators.

BioBlitz began in 2007. In the 2012 Fall/Winter edition of Diablo Watch, SMD Land Conservation Associate George Phillips writes: “BioBlitz’s pur-pose is simple: performing ground level resource surveys provides important baseline species information, which guides stewardship and land manage-ment.” Strategies are targeted to each type of wildlife and vegetation. Mo-tion/heat-activated camera traps capture images of fleet-footed mammals. State-of-the-art acoustic equipment elicits responses to recorded birdcalls and documents the presence of distinct species of bats through echolocation.

From 2pm on April 24th to 2pm on April 25th, 2015, BioBlitz participants worked within the Morgan Fire Footprint in Mount Diablo State Park, SMD’s Viera North Peak property and a neighboring privately owned parcel. Ap-proximately 50 individuals, including 40 scientific experts, members of the media, photographers, and volunteer supporters, collected data.

Jim Cartan, SMD Land Conservation Associate, reports: “The 2015 Bioblitz is the second in a series of three designed to study fire recovery and regeneration on the mountain. Counts from across all three years will be utilized to manage sensitive and rare fire following species and invasive species, and account for changes over time.”

Kip Will, Director of the Essig Museum of Entomology at UC Berkeley, comments on other factors clearly affecting the 2015 species count: “In general, the ongoing drought and then sudden cold spell with high winds and some rain greatly depressed insect activity this year.” Gordon Frankie, who has a Mary Bowerman Research Grant to study bees on Mount Diablo, noted that atmospheric conditions kept the bee count down to only two during the 24-hour period. Returning another day, however, he had more encouraging results.

Botanists had better luck. In response to what was most surprising, Bartosh answers: “The change in abundance from 2014 to 2015. In the second of these two post-fire years the abundance and distribution of much of the post-fire species is greater.” The delicate endemic Mount Diablo Jewel Flower that popped up in unexpected places in 2014 was back to shrinking from sight, and Brewer’s Red Maids were not as bountiful as in the previous year. But Western Morning Glories joined other fire-followers like Whispering Bells, Woodland Wooly Threads and Kellogg’s Snapdragon in their even more exuberant performance. Fire Poppies were out in force.

Fire is not an unprecedented occurrence on Mount Diablo. Much of Bower-man’s original work was done after the 1931 blaze seared 25,000 acres. Follow-ing the 1977 fire that raged across 6,000 acres, well-meaning supporters wanted to raise money to plant the scorched earth with non-native Monterey Pines and Coast Redwoods. Fortunately better-informed botanists prevailed and native Foothill Pines and Blue Oaks were installed. This time the mountain is following

Fire-following flowers blanket areas where the dense chaparral burned in September 2013 (photo by SMD Board President Scott Hein, www.heinphoto.com)



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Your Personal Nutritionist Lets Feed Our Kids Right this SummerBy Linda Michaelis RD, MS

As parents we need to realize that eating right in child-hood is the most powerful weapon against the growing epidemic of adult diabetes and cancer. Adopting sound eating habits early are the best bet for having healthy teens and adults tomorrow. Here are some healthy guidelines for meals and snacks this summer.

Breakfast - I see kids being fed what I call paste and glue, sleepy foods - waffles, poptarts, bagels, sugary cereals, and juice for breakfast. There is absolutely no nutrition in these foods. The key is to make sure your child is fed a source of protein and fiber in the morning. Some popular good ideas are oatmeal with toppings such as brown sugar, honey, and raisins; Oatmeal Squares cold cereal or my family’s favorite – Kashi Go Lean; eggs with veggies and a sprinkle of cheese; vanilla Greek yogurt with berries and a touch of low sugar granola or cereal; or 100% whole wheat toast with peanut butter. It is fine to have some sugar in the meal as long as it is balanced with protein and fiber.

Snacks - Snack time during the day when kids are at camp or on a road trip also needs to include protein and fiber. This will help improve your child’s focus on sports and in general keep their energy level and moods more balanced.

Suggestions include an apple or celery with portable peanut butter pouches, beef or turkey jerky with a tangerine, hard boiled eggs with some grapes, Cinnamon Oatmeal Squares or Kashi Go Lean cereal with dried fruit in a Ziplock bag, or a PBJ sandwich. At home, after activities they can have a bean soup, low fat chili with shredded cheese and onions, a baked potato with broccoli and cheese, the sandwich they skipped at lunch, or even flavored oatmeal. Always have vegetables cut up on the counter or in eyesight when your child opens the refrigerator. They will eat red peppers, cucumbers with salt, jicama, carrots and sugar snap peas when they are hungry. Once in a while buy the veggie tray with ranch dressing, and add it to your dinner if you have not prepared vegetables for dinner.

Beverages - Send a bottle of water and no sugar laden beverages to camps unless your child has an intense practice schedule. Being hydrated is very important for brain

function. Look closely at what their beverages are, and make sure you are reading the food label for sugar. I have seen many parents make the mistake of buying drinks like the Pure Leaf Iced Tea and not realizing it has lots of sugar.

Lunch - Large amounts of protein and fiber are needed for lunch. Many kids are very busy at lunch time where they prefer playing than eating, saying that they are not hungry at that time. I tell all my families that when the kids come home from their activities they need a mini-meal like leftover chicken, steak or meat from last night with some added raw or cooked veggies. You can also add salsa or BBQ sauce. An option that holds up better in the warm weather for the lunchbox is a cup of grains such as quinoa, farro or whole wheat pasta with meat and veggies. Sandwiches get soggy and are often not eaten. This is not the time for lots of chips, crackers, dried fruits, or granola bars that lack in nutrition. Surprisingly, PBJ sandwiches are not adequate and do not fill you up.

Dinner - If your child has been eating well during the day, they should not have a huge appetite for dinner. If dinner is too heavy, your child will tend to fall asleep and not wake up bouncing out of bed. This is the time that protein should be consumed in small amounts because protein is more difficult to digest when we tend to be sedentary and it does not burn off. You have probably heard that a good plate consists of half vegetables, one quarter meat, and one quarter grains – that is true. Vegetables stir fried with garlic and olive oil or roasted are good. Suggestions for dinner include a potato topped with chili, broccoli and cheese, cottage cheese and veggies or Greek yogurt and chives. Also, a cup of whole pasta with 2 cups of sauteed broccoli, spinach or fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil are quite popular.

Desserts - I see a lot of families do not believe in desserts which often results in excessive consumption of too much pasta and garlic bread and little veggies. Children do like desserts and puddings and Fudgesicles and Skinny Cows are quite acceptable. Good desserts should also reduce the search for after dinner snacking.

Exercise - Your child needs at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day. Please be a role model for your kids, and make sure there are different forms of exercise that they can enjoy on their own or as a family.

I am glad to inform you that I am contracted with most insurance companies such as Aetna, ABMG, Hill Physicians and Sutter Health. Please feel free to call me at (925) 855-0150 or email me at [email protected] and tell me your nutri-tion concerns. Refer to my website www.LindaRD.com for past articles, recipes and nutrition tips in my blog section. Advertorial

carefully placed sutures that will result in a more aesthetically pleasing and less painful repair. The result for this began with a consultation that allowed me to improve her situation and offer her a more aesthetically pleasing result in my office … away from the long lines and crowds of the typical ER.

As a mother I know first hand that the emotions involved when your child is injured are amplified on an exponential scale. The injury (especially facial laceration) itself is traumatic enough, but add to that a lengthy wait time in an unfamiliar environment, and what is already a scary experience can become almost unbearable. I treasure my involvement in this community, and I want to be used as a primary resource for these types of injuries. Please call me and I will ensure that it will be a calm and comfortable experience for your child. Most importantly, the injury will be optimally repaired the first time, avoiding the need for future scar revision.

An additional note - It is a common misconception that lacerations must be repaired immediately. In some cases, if the laceration is cleaned well and kept moist, excellent results can be achieved days after the initial injury.

Common sense must prevail with all bites, cuts, scrapes, or burns. Elevate and apply pressure for bleeding, ensure safety of the environment, and call 911 if there is a life-threatening emergency. The paramedics in our area are fantastic!

Keep in mind that our office accepts most insurance plans, and even on a cash payment basis treatment at our office is likely to be a less expensive op-tion. As always, it is my pleasure to offer my expertise, and I look forward to consulting with you soon. Wishing everyone a safe and happy summer season.

Barbara L. Persons, MD is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and owns Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc. located at 911 Moraga Rd, Suite 205 in Lafayette. She may be reached at 925.283.4012 or [email protected]. Advertorial

Healing with Minimal ScarringBy Barbara Persons, MD, Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc.

As summer approaches, I find that my practice is busier than ever. Most people would think that plastic surgeons become busy in the summer because that’s the time of year when people want to look better in a bathing suit. While it’s true that summer does bring people into my office looking to enhance their ap-pearance through cosmetic surgery, summer is also

the time of year when I see more patients after being involved in an accident. Local emergency rooms are packed in the summertime with people who have been involved in accidents while participating in warm weather activities such as swimming, hiking, and biking. I have spent years during my training in trauma centers and emergency rooms, working in high-pressure situations, focusing my attention on saving lives and ensuring that patients are not at risk of serious illness or infection.

My advanced training in aesthetics is an added benefit my patients receive. For example, repairs to facial lacerations from a biking accident can be done in a way that leaves minimal scarring. Please use me as a resource and give me a call, especially when kids are involved. I would be happy to help.

Recently my patient’s sister was involved in a car accident. She was taken by ambulance to the emergency room where they made sure she had no major injuries and evaluated her for a number of horrible lacerations on her forearm. My staff and I told our patient to call us if there was anything we could do for her sister. Two days later we were asked to take a look at her sister’s arm because it was painful and oozing. The woman had baseball type stitches in the largest laceration and 17 centimeters of cuts in a star-like pattern on her forearm. During my fellowship in hand and microsurgery, and other advanced training in cosmetic and maxillofacial surgery, I repaired countless traumatic injuries very similar to this woman’s. I consulted with her, and we agreed on a course of treatment that involved replacing the baseball stitches with 100 finer


Danville Today ClassifiedsReach over 15,000 homes and businesses in Dan-ville - Help Wanted, For Sale, Services, Lessons, Pets, Rentals, Wanted, Freebies... $35 for up to 45 words. $5 for each additional 15 words. Send or email submissions to: 3000F Danville Blvd #117, Alamo, CA 94507 or [email protected]. Run the same classified ad in our sister papers “Alamo Today” or “Lafayette Today” and pay half off for your second and/or third ad! Payment by check made out to “The Editors” must be received before ad will print. Your cancelled check is your receipt. We reserve the right to reject any ad.

KybellaBy Dr. Jerome Potozkin

In Aesthetic Medicine new developments occur all of the time. However, it is unusual to see something completely novel and exciting. In April the FDA ap-proved a new injectable drug, Kybella, that should be a major break-through for the treatment of fat under the chin known as submental fat. Up until now the only way to treat this condition was with liposuction surgery. I be-lieve this will be a dramatic new non-surgical treatment

option. Most people that I see would prefer to avoid major surgery if they can.Kybella is made of deoxycholic acid and was known as ATX-101. On April

29 it was approved by the FDA “for improvement in the appearance of moder-ate to severe convexity or fullness associated with submental fullness.” Prior to approval there were over 20 clinical studies in more than 2,600 patients. Most patients reported an improvement in the amount of fat under the chin. Kybella is injected in the fat under the chin. A typical treatment session is 15-20 minutes. Up to six treatments may be needed. Once the desired result is obtained, retreatment is usually not required.

As with any medication there are always potential side effects. The most common side effects with Kybella are swelling, bruising, pain, numbness, and firmness around the treatment area. The overwhelming majority of side effects were reported as being mild in nature.

As of this writing Kybella is not yet available. I expect it to become avail-able in late June. It will help patients with excess fat under the chin. It is not a treatment for sagging skin nor is it intended to be injected elsewhere in the body. The first weekend in June I will be amongst a select group of physicians getting trained in San Diego. If you are interested in Kybella, feel free to call my office to schedule a consultation.

Dr. Potozkin is a board certified dermatologist who has been serving the local community since 1993. His fully accredited dermatological and laser facility is located at 600 San Ramon Valley Blvd, Suite 102 in Danville. He is accepting new patients. Please call (925) 838-4900 or visit Potozkin.com for more information. Advertorial

the natural path of recovery. In ten years time the chaparral will be impenetrable once again, but in the meantime scientists are able to access areas previously unavailable for scrutiny as they build a database on post-fire recovery.

Getting members of younger generations out to appreciate the remarkable recreation potential and incomparable importance of the Diablo Wilderness is a priority. “The family hikes are working as are some of the other things in our youth outreach program like the Scholastic Photo Contest and the new magazine for kids Devilish Details About Mount Diablo, reports Beryl Anderson, SMD Communications Manager. “We have a free family hike the last Saturday of every month.”

To learn more about SMD and opportunities to explore, enjoy, and help preserve Mount Diablo, visit www. savemountdiablo.org

Regeneration continued from page 24

SMD Board President Scott Hein captures a close-up of a Fire Poppy, abundant only after major fires (see more at www.heinphoto.com)

Group Helps People Cope with Death of Pets When you lose your pet, you often feel like a part of you is lost. The

death of your beloved animal companion is one of the most difficult losses you may ever feel. This loss is sometimes made more painful by society’s seeming lack of support for pet grief.

Hospice of the East Bay and the Tony La Russa Animal Rescue Founda-tion is offering a support group where participants can share memories and feelings and talk to others who truly understand and care. Meetings will be held the first Tuesday of each month from noon - 1:30PM at the Tony La Russa Animal Rescue Foundation, 2890 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek.

For further information and/or to register, please call Bereavement Ser-vices at Hospice of the East Bay (925) 887-5681. Pre-registration is required.

Hospice of the East Bay Bereavement Services are provided free of charge to all community members in need. However, donations are greatly appreciated.

Books for the HomeboundIf you or someone you know has a passion for reading and can no longer

visit the library, find out more about the Danville Library’s Books for the Homebound program, a free and unique library service. Trained library vol-unteers check out and deliver books to homebound individuals residing in their own homes or residential care facilities. Contact Sandra Paiva, Volunteer Coordinator, at the Danville Library at (925) 837-4889 for more information.

925.934.3743 • 925.934.1515www.dumploadsonus.com • www.erecycleonus.com

1271 Boulevard Way, Walnut CreekMonday-Friday, 8-5 • Saturday 9-1, Sunday, closed

Is Food a Problem for You? Overeaters Anonymous offers a fellowship of individuals who, through

shared experience and mutual support, are recovering from compulsive overeating. This is a 12-step program. The free meetings are for anyone suffering from a food addiction including overeating, under-eating, and bulimia. The group meets Wednesdays at 6PM at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Lafayette. Visit www.how-oa.org for more information.

Hearing Loss Association Come to meetings of the Diablo Valley Chapter of Hearing Loss

Association of America at 7pm on the 1st Wednesday of the month at the Walnut Creek United Methodist Church located at 1543 Sunnyvale Ave., Walnut Creek Education Bldg., Wesley Room. Meeting room and parking are at back of church. All are welcome. Assistive listening system is available for T-coils, and most meetings are captioned. Contact [email protected] or 925-264-1199 or www.hearinglossdv.org.

C L A S S I F I E D GENERAL CONTRACTOR

Dayton Geranen, General Contractor – Many years experience. Affordable prices for remodeling your residence. Small jobs are okay. Contacts available for all sub-contractors. Also can do earthquake retrofit of your home foundation. Licensed, insured, bonded. Contact me at [email protected], 925-283-3434.


Dr. Richard Long Joins Pacific Urology

Pacific Urology is pleased to announce the joining of Richard Long, MD to their specialty group. Dr. Long is accepting new patients and will practice at Pacific Urology’s San Ramon, Concord and Fremont locations.

For 15 years, Dr. Long practiced adult and pe-diatric urology in Bangor, Maine. He has extensive experience in robotic procedures and was a leader in launching the robotic program at Eastern Main Medi-

cal Center. He moved his urologic practice to Fremont, California in 2013. He serves as the Vice Chief of Surgery at San Ramon Regional Medical Center and received the Top Urologist recognition from the Oakland Magazine in 2014.

“I am very excited to join Pacific Urology’s large group and their parent company, Diablo Valley Oncology & Hematology Medical Group. Expand-ing to a group of seven urologists will allow each of us to focus more on our sub-specialty areas of interest which will translate into even better care for our patients,” states Dr. Long.

Dr. Long’s areas of special interest are minimally invasive robotic surgery, prostate cancer and complex stone disease.“Robotic surgery expands the in-dications for laparoscopic surgery allowing almost any surgery, that used to be performed through an open incision, to be done endoscopically. Overall, this results in a shorter hospital stay, faster recovery, less blood loss, and (for some surgeries) better cancer control,” continues Dr. Long.

Dr. Long earned his medical degree from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He then completed a general surgery internship and urology residency at the University Minnesota Hospital and Clinics in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dr. Long is board certified by the American Board of Urology and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

Pacific Urology is the surgical division of Diablo Valley Oncology and Hematology Medical Group. The multispecialty medical group specializes in treating urologic conditions and all forms of cancer and blood disorders. Locations include Walnut Creek, Concord, Pleasant Hill, San Ramon, Livermore, Antioch, Brentwood and Fremont. For questions or to make an appointment, call 925-937-7740. Advertorial

Pints Package $20 Donation includes beer, beer glass, and heavy hors d’ouevres. ‘Pints for Prostates’ is a 501c non-profit.

Thursday, June 18, 2015 6pm-8pm

FAIRMEN’S HEALTH

“Doctor Flat Out Guarantees that he Will Not Cure You…”Dear Friend, I could tell you story after story of how so many of the good people that come to see me throw away their pills, and feel better than they ever have. Or, I could tell you that I don’t cure anyone, and never have. And, both are true. Before I tell you how those two statements are possible, let me tell you a bit about me…Years ago something happened to me that changed my life forever. Years ago, I was an investigator for the U.S. government and all was fine. But then, I developed carpal tunnel syndrome. The shooting pain sometimes woke me up in the middle of the night. I didn’t know what to do. Finally, a friend of mine convinced me to give his chiropractor a try. I got relief, and shortly thereafter, I could use my hands again. I was so impressed that I went to chiropractic school myself. Now, people from Alamo come to see me with their carpal tunnel syndrome problems. They also come to me with their headaches, migraines, chronic pain, neck pain, shoulder/arm pain, whiplash from car accidents, backaches, numbness in limbs athletic injuries, just to name a few. These neighbors of yours tell their stories: I have been able to stop taking pain medication. ~ (Kevin Ross, 8X World Muay Thai champion) My headaches are completely gone now! ~ (Jennifer Martin) Special Offer- I know you’re smart. You want to get to the cause of your problem, and not just cover it up with drugs. When you call to schedule a new patient exam by June 26, 2015 you’ll receive that entire exam for just $37. This includes x-rays, paraspinal ther-mal imaging...the whole ball of wax, and there are no hidden fees. But, call right away because on Friday, June 26th, 2015 at exactly 6pm, this offer will expire (by law, this offer excludes Medicare-Medicaid beneficiaries). My assistants are Rachel and Linda and they are really great people. Our office is both friendly and warm and we try our best to make you feel at home. We have a wonderful service, at an exceptional fee. Our office is called THE SPINE and it is located at 170-B Alamo Plaza, Alamo (across from Rite Aid). Our phone number is 844-687-7746. Call Rachel, Linda, or me today for an appointment. We can help you. Thank you and God Bless. ~ TJ Bachmeyer, D.C.P.S. When a second family member accompanies the first, I am offering the second family member the same examination for only $17.P.P.S. Of course, all people respond differently to care.


Data presented in this column is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the Contra Costa and Alameda MLS service and other quoted sources. Joe Combs, Nancy Combs, The Combs Team, J. Rockcliff and the MLS service do not guarantee the accuracy of this information. DRE #0144125.

Views of Mt. Diablo from nearly every room. 5 bed-rooms, spacious open and bright, estate vineyard,

pool and pool house. Priced to sell $4,790,000.

Classic Mediterranean home on 1 acre. Views! 4 bed plus office, large master suite, chef’s kitchen, amazing outdoor entertainment area, vineyard. Priced to sell $1,675,450.

Stunning Mediterranean single story on nearly an acre. 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 2,946 square feet.

Price to sell $1,435,000.

Mt. Diablo views from this casually elegant & complete-ly luxurious Braddock Logan model home. 5 bedroom,

4.5 bath. Priced to sell $1,950,000

Private custom retreat on 2.27 Acres. 5 bedroom. Views! Soaring ceilings chef’s kitchen, large master

bedroom suite. Priced to Sell at $2,599,000.

Alamo, Vineyard EstateExecutive Luxury Home

J. Rockcliff Realtors 15 Railroad Ave., Danville CA. 94526

Alamo New Construction Views!

Alamo, Whitegate Single Story

Blackhawk, Saddle Back Estate Home

Professionals YouCan Count On

The Combs Team

Nancy Joe

www.TheCombsTeam.com

®Call the Combs Team

925-989-6086

PENDING

Alamo Danville Single Family Home Sales Jan. 1-May 19 Sold DOM List Price Sold Price Sq. Foot $ Sq. Foot

Alamo 2014 78 38 1,535,742$ 1,523,186$ 3,369$ 452$ Alamo 2015 52 23 1,673,849$ 1,702,890$ 3,472$ 512$ % Change -33.0% -40.0% 9.0% 12.0% 3.0% 13.0%

Danville 2014 208 22 1,109,124$ 1,131,438$ 2,668$ 424$ Danville 2015 213 23 1,190,570$ 1,197,257$ 2,758$ 446$

% Change 2.0% 1% 7.0% 6.0% 3.0% 5.0%

Danville-Alamo Real Estate Market: It’s Running Hot and Cold!We’re near the end of May, so we have enough data to review this year’s market per-

formance against the same time period last year (January 1-May 19) and be fairly confident that it has meaning.

On average, home prices continue to rise both in Alamo and Danville. A key driver to that growth appears to be relatively low inventory at the mid to lower price points for homes as well as great interest rates for buyers. Low inventory coupled with steady demand has been the price driver in Danville and Alamo for four years. The Danville homes that have sold so far in 2015, have sold on average within 23 days. Let’s contrast that with the 88 active listings (homes not sold) that carry an average of 53 days on market with a list price ranging from $695,000-$7 million. As I mentioned last month, it is indeed a tale of two markets.

The dearth of inventory has not yet been resolved by market forces delivering a sufficient number of desirable properties for sale, to tip the balance in the favor of buyers, although I am beginning to believe that change is much closer than it was in 2011. The upper price tiers are pretty much flooded with homes for sale and last month I reported there is more than a year’s worth of inventory and a cold Danville Luxury Home Market.

Many of the homes listed in the upper price tiers are significantly overpriced. Some are listed above $1,000 per square foot. Of note, when and if these homes do sell, they will only need to fetch a little more than $500 per square foot, to drive average prices higher, so I would not be looking for average sales price to decline in the foreseeable future.

I think it is also worth noting that some of the homes in this analysis sold for a lot less than $400 per square foot. This proves that not every Danville home is worth the market average (mean) price in the minds of buyers and sellers. This is distressingly unlike Garrison Keillor’s Lake Wobegon where every home is above average. Not listed on the chart is median price. Median price stands at $1,100,000 and is a really important number to aid our understanding of the market. It means simply that half of the 88 Danville sold properties closed for more than this number and half sold for less. Shockingly, it is true that half of all Danville sales were below median price, and significantly more than half were below the average (mean) price.

Home sales increased in Danville by 2% from the previous year, while average purchase price moved up 6% year -over-year. This suggests that except for the very top tiers of price, where inventory is overwhelming demand, Danville’s low and moderately priced inventory

is beginning to come smoothly into balance with buyer demand. If I am right in this assess-ment, it is a good thing.

Danville dollars paid for square foot came in at a 5% increase. If it doesn’t sound like much growth, please think again. That’s more than one half percent a month, although last year’s year-over- year rate of growth was 16%. Remember too, as the base price grows, a single percentage point is worth more dollars. The average dollar growth, year-on-year is equal to $65,819. A percentage point last year was worth $11,348. Moving forward, a percentage point will be worth $11,971. We’re talking really nice growth in terms of dollars. If we obtain the same level of growth next year as we did so far in 2015, Danville average price will move to $1,269,092. Although the Danville market has run hot and fast during the past years, I see nothing on the horizon to seriously limit that rate of growth.

Also, something of consequence worth noting is that actual selling price in Danville is running above list price, but just barely. We might expect to see this dial back even more as the market comes into greater balance. Harkening back to a statement made earlier, what all this means is that homes that sell in first few days are selling above list price. Bottom line, if you have owned your Danville home during the amazing run up of the last four years, you have done really well, and if you price it right, it will sell.

It’s important to remember that there really is no “average” home and no two homes are exactly alike. Computer generated estimates of your home’s market value are probably wrong. If you would like multi-dimensional analysis of your home’s current market value, based on years of Danville market experience, please give me a call 925-989-6086 or send me an email [email protected]. For more Alamo and Danville Real Estate articles, please visit our website at www.thecombsteam.com.

danville today, june 2015

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